Chapter 15 Flashcards
life span:
the maximum number of years an individual can live (120-125 years)
life expectancy:
the number of years the average person born in a certain year can live
average life expectancy of individuals born today is
78 years
- women: 80.7 years of age
- men: 75.4 years of age
changes according to medical, technological, and scientific advancements
social factors that affect life expectancy
includes habits, lifestyles, and occupations
lead causes of death in men are associated with death (ex. cancer of the respiratory
system, motor vehicle accidents)
biological factors that affect life expectancy
women have more resistance to infections + degenerative diseases
Summarize research findings on centenarians, pertaining to disease, obesity, smoking,
and thinking skills.
many centenarians have good lifestyles + mental health
- number of centenarians have increased at a rate of 7% per year
- lived through harsh events → could cope with their stress
research on Okinawa’s life expectancy / centenarians
average life expectancy = 81.2 (women = 86, men = 78)
- diet: grains, fish, vegetables, but light on meat, eggs and dairy. risk of dying from cancer is
lower
- low stress lifestyle: easygoing! they’re just chilling!
- caring community: do not isolate themselves / ignore neighbors. they support each other
- activity: active, they take walks or work in their gardens. some continue working at their
jobs
- spirituality: find purpose in spiritual matters + can ease stress through prayer
evolutionary theory of aging:
where natural selection hasn’t eliminated many harmful conditions +
nonadaptive characteristics in older adults. in simple terms, it’s when all species are related +
gradually change over time
- decline with age because natural selection → reproductive fitness
- criticisms: does not account for cultural influences
- evolution → time scale that doesn’t lend itself to empirical study
Explain the cellular clock theory, why do we age?
cellular clock theory: Leonard Hayflick’s theory where cells can divide a maximum of 75-80 times.
our cells become less capable of aging as time goes on
- flaw: didn’t know when cells died
- telomeres become more frayed / shorter as cells replicate, which is why reduction can lead
to less reproduction
Describe changes in the brain during late adulthood, pertaining to total weight and
volume, neurons, and specific brain areas.
weight: the brain loses 5-10% of its weight between the ages of 20 to 90
- neurons shrink, there are less synapses + they are reduced, axons are more simple, there is
less branching in dendrites
- prefrontal cortex shrinking = less working memory and slower motor behavior
- dopamine reduction can lead to problems with motor activities (ex. Parkinson’s disease)
neurogenesis can occur in human adults, only recorded in the hippocampus (memory center) and
olfactory bulb (sniff sniff)
if you are challenged to learn something, brain cells can survive longer
dendritic growth can continue to grow even during adulthood
- growth of dendrites increased between the ages of 40-70
- stopped entirely in the 90s
- could be due to lack of environmental stimulation + activity
older brains = rewired to compensate for losses. ex. if a neuron was tired and couldn’t get the job
done, neighboring neurons help them out (:
changes in lateralization → use both hemispheres of the brain in older
adults rather than just one
- brain activity in prefrontal cortex is lateralized less than younger adults
height as you get older
you get shorter because of vertebrae bone loss
Weight as you get older
weight: drops after 60 as we lose muscle, gives body a “sagging” look
mobility as you get older
older adults move slower than younger adults
- obesity was due to mobility issues
- risk of falling also increases with age
physical and social activity as you get older
= improvement in appearance and preserving motor functions in adults
What can visual decline in old age cause and why?
visual decline → cognitive decline, fewer social contacts, and less
challenging social / leisure activities
Visual decline specifically regarding light
tolerance for glare gets lower + adaptation to the dark is slower
- reduction in quality / intensity of light reaching retina
- 60 years of age = 1/3rd as much light as it did at 20 years of age
Visual decline regarding color
color vision declines due to yellowing of lens in the eye
Visual decline regarding depth perception
depth perception declines (how adults can determine how close / far away or how high / low
something is)
cataracts:
thickening of eye’s lens → vision becomes cloudy, opaque, and
distorted
glaucoma:
damage to optic nerve because of pressure created by fluid buildup in the eye
macular degeneration:
the retina’s macula deteriorates → corresponds to
focal center of the visual field
touch sensitivity in late adulthood
detect less touch in the lower extremities (ex. ankles, knees) vs the upper extremities (ex. wrists,
shoulders)
adults who are blind → retain higher level of touch sensitivity
pain sensitivity in late adulthood
older adults experience less pain + are less sensitive to it
- double-edged sword: they can help adults cope with disease / injury BUT also masks
illnesses that need to be treated
persistent pain amongst 60% to 75 of older adults
- frequently back pain, peripheral neuropathic pain (nerve damage, pain is usually in the
hands and feet)
high levels of pain = memory impairment
cardiovascular disorders increase and lung capacity drops by 40%
Summarize research on sexual function during late adulthood, depending on gender.
aging → inducing changes in human sexual performance
orgasms become less frequent in males
- maintain function, feel young again, feel attractive, lust → love,
change from “getting sex” to “giving sex”
- aspects of sexuality were higher in aging males than for women, but lost more years due to
poor health
sexual activity, a good quality sexual life, + interest in sex → good
health in middle / late adulthood
declined in late adulthood, lower rate of sexual activity with a partner for women than men
