ageing Flashcards
what is ageing
measurable reduction in reproductive capability, functional decline (both physical and cognitive), and rising death rates with age
is ageing genetic
yes
what is ageing associated with
Decreased force and elasticity of the skeletal muscular system
Lower filtration rates in the kidneys
Lower pulmonary ventilation
Lower maximal blood flow through the heart
Glucose intolerance
Atrophy or degeneration of most organs
Degradation of intercellular matter
what is scarcopenia
skeletal muscle:
Losses mass
Shows reduced function
This defines sarcopenia, which is primarily a disease of the elderly, and that leads to loss of strength, increased likelihood of falls, and loss of autonomy
what happens to lung function as you age
Loss of elastic recoil
Dilatation of the alveoli
Loss of supporting structures for the peripheral airways
These result in increased residual volume and age-related falls in the forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume
what are the cellular characteristics of ageing
Stem cell exhaustion
Mitochondrial dysfunction with falling energy outputs
Increased levels of oxidative stress
Altered intercellular communications
Deregulated nutrient sensing
Genomic instability (especially DNA damage)
Telomere attrition
Epigenetic alterations
Changes in gene
expression
Loss of protein homeostasis
what happens to RNA as you age
transcription erros
what happens to proteins after you age
post-translational modification errors
what happens to DNA as you age
structural damage, mutations,mtDNA heteroplasmy
what happens to the epigenome as you age
histone modifications and chromatin remodelling
hypo/hyper methylation of DNA
what happens to autophagy failure as you age
decreased clearance of damage molecules
what is cellular senescence
Cells in vitro (cultured) become arrested in a phase known as replicative senescence
as we age more cells enter senescence which may account for tissue aging
what happens to telomere attrition as we age
With each cell division the telomeres at the ends of chromosomes are reduced in length
what are the epigenetic changes in aging cells
Altered gene expression
Loss gene expression control
Changes in cellular metabolism
Cellular senescence
what is successful ageing
Lack of major pathology and disability
Age-related disease risk factors
Cognitive function
Healthy social interactions
