A. Biology of Aging PDF
A. Biology of Aging PDF
A. Biology of Aging PDF
BIOLOGY OF AGING
THEORIES OF AGING
An introduction to aging science brought to you by the
American Federation for Aging Research
WHAT IS A THEORY
OF AGING?
Theories of aging can be divided
into two categories: those that
answer the question Why do we
age? and those that address the
question How do we age? Only
a few broad, overarching theories
attempt to explain why we and
nearly all living organisms age.
These theories compete with each
other, making it unlikely that more
than one of them could be true.
Over time, some theories have
fallen out of favor as others have
become more widely accepted.
Other theories, more properly
called hypotheses, are smaller in
scope and address the question,
How do we age? They attempt
to explain the mechanisms that
affect how we and other species
age, and it is likely that a number
of them are simultaneously true.
Testing these hypotheses is the
current pursuit of most aging
research. Identification of the
mechanisms that affect aging
could lead to interventions that
slow or alter aging. Recent
research implies that there may be
a limited number of these mechanisms, giving scientists hope that
their efforts may one day lead to
strategies that could help us lead
longer, healthier lives.
MODIFYING THE
COURSE OF AGING
A critical issue in aging research
is whether aging is affected by
one, several, or a multitude of
underlying processes. If there are
hundreds of different biological
pathways that affect aging, then
odds are slim that science could
ever hope to devise a way of
slowing down how we age or
even understand why aging
happens at all.
THE EVOLUTIONARY
SENESCENCE THEORY
OF AGING
The most widely accepted overall
theory of aging is the evolutionary
senescence theory of aging. Unlike
the earlier programmed theory of
evolution and aging, which tried to
find reasons why evolution might
favor aging, evolutionary senescence theory focuses on the failure
of natural selection to affect latelife traits.
Natural selection, because it operates via reproduction, can have
little effect on later life. In the wild,
predation and accidents guarantee
that there are always more younger
individuals reproducing than older
ones. Genes and mutations that
have harmful effects but appear
only after reproduction is over do
not affect reproductive success
and therefore can be passed on
to future generations. In 1952,
Peter Medawar proposed that
the inability of natural selection to
influence late-life traits could mean
that genes with detrimental latelife effects could continue to be
passed from generation to generation. This theory is called the
mutation accumulation theory.
Natural substances within our cells called antioxidants sop up and neutralize dangerous
free radicals. But those that escape this cleanup process can damage DNA, proteins, and
mitochondria.
Websites:
www.afar.org
www.beeson.org
www.geriatricsrecruitment.org