Ageing Flashcards
What is ageing?
The loss with time of the organisms adaptability to internal and external stresses (e.g. loss of homeostatic mechanism) whether it is a cell, organ or whole body
What do 4 criteria do factors going wrong in ageing need to be:
- intrinsic to all cells
- deleterious
- progressive
- universal to species
Who do we often study to look at ageing?
- people over 100 y/o
- people with premature ageing
What factors cause ageing at the cellular level?
- Oxidative stress
- Calorie intake
What is cellular ageing associated with>
- Damage to DNA and loss of gene function
- Degeneration of cellular organelles
- Shortening of telomeres
What is oxidative stress?
Radicals produced by normal metabolism take electrons from other parts of the cell = damage to DNA, fatty acids and membranes = disrupts normal signalling processes
What anti-oxidants do we naturally produce?
Provitamin A and vitamins C and D
What does a cell produce when its under stress?
Cellular stress proteins e.g. heat stress protein (hip) 60, 70 and 90 = protect proteins and degrade/repair damaged protein
What is the impact of calorie impact on longevity?
Decreased calories means living longer -> possibly due to increased oxidative stress, decreased insulin and activation of sirtuins
What are sirtuins?
Family of enzymes found within many cells thought to be involved in maintaining healthy life within the cell (regulate transcription, apoptosis and stress)
What are telomeres?
Part of essential, non coding DNA preventing the ends of chromosomes joining together, up to 2000 repeats of TTAGGG, n.b. there is partial loss during each round of cell division (repetitive senescence = loss of whole thing in 125 duplications), some evidence that telomeres can increase in length in response to healthy lifestyle changes
What are the two ageing theories?
- Wear and tear theory
2. Mis-repair theory
What is the wear and tear theory?
Damage accumulates, and is a by-product of metabolism, we are unable to repair random environmental damage
What is the mis-repair theory?
Cells repair serious or repeated damage, errors accumulate with age and gradually cause disorganisation within a tissue
Why do some people age faster than others?
25% ageing is genetically controlled (repair mechanisms, determine basal metabolic rate -> lower associated with increased longevity) but also controlled by environment, nutrition and lifestyle
What is the effect of ageing on the immune system?
Less response to outside antigens (infection), heightened response to own antigens (autoimmunity -> arthritis, glomerular nephritis, endocrine disorders e.g. hypo and hyperthyroidism) and general decline in T cell function, may contribute to cancer
What is the effect of ageing on the brain?
Reduced brain plasticity via biochemical changes rather than neuronal loss = decreased brain mass, neuronal loss with proliferation of glia, decrease in connectivity and neurotransmitter function, increased incidence of infarcts, stroke, number of senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (significant mental decay after 75 y/o in both male and female)
What is the effect of ageing on taste?
Taste thresholds increase (loss of receptor cells in taste buds) -> add more salt to food
What is the effect of ageing on smell?
Loss of olfactory cells so loss
What is the effect of viral infections, medications and radiation on taste and smell?
Make underlying ageing process worse and can be sudden onset