Chapter 17- Physical & Cognitive Development in Late Adulthood Flashcards
The study of aging from maturity (young adulthood) through older age as well as the study of older persons as a special group.
Gerontology
These are people who live to the age of 100
Centenarians
Branch of psychology aimed at understanding age-related changes in behavior and mind that individuals experience throughout the lifespan.
Developmental psychology
True or False
Gerontolgy is Interdisciplinary
TRUE
Late adulthood is now thought of as the period of tremendous ______ _______ rather than just a stage of universal decline.
individual variability
in late adulthood, we see enhancement and stability through _____________and _____________
selective optimization and compensation
What is the life span or the maximum time or span humans can live?
120-125 years old
This is an estimation of how long you can expect to live and this is calculated at different ages.
Life expectancy
The gender gap for life expectancy has been narrowing, with ______ (men or women) expected to live only 4 years longer now.
women
In adulthood, the odds of dying increase ________ each year, with much variability in death rates at higher ages.
exponentially
According to all selected scenarios, the proportion of older adults age 65 years and older should continue to _______ (increase/ decrease) in the future. So this group is projected to represent 1/4 of the population by 2036 compared to 14% in 2009.
increase
What does the life expectancy calculator looks at?
- health behaviors (diet, exercise, stress)
- weight and sex
- sociodemographic variables (where you live, education)
What are two theories that explain how we age?
- Programmed Theories
- Error/Random theories
This theory of aging explains that genetic preprogramming causes aging.
-suggests that our body’s DNA, genetic code, contains a built-in time limit for the reproduction of human cells.
Programmed Theories
What are two examples of Programmed Aging Theories
- Hayflick limit
- Telomeric theory
This theory of aging is about wear-and-tear explanations of aging.
They argue that the mechanical functions of the body simply wear out with age.
Error/ Random Theories
Why are error/random theories more optimistic than the programmed theories?
Because they suggest that longevity can be extended by eliminating toxins produced by the body.
This programmed aging theory is a programmed explanation of why we age.
This refers to the number of times a cell can replicate.
The theoretical proposal that each species is subject to a genetically programmed time limit after which cells no longer have any capacity to replicate themselves accurately.
Hayflick limit
Cells taken from human adults divide only about ___ times
20
This programmed aging theory is an extension of the Hayflick limit
Telomeric theory
During old age, adult cells cannot produce the necessary levels of _____ (enzyme) needed to restore telomeres.
telomerase
_____ are string of repetitive DNA at the tip of each chromosome in the body that appears to serve as a kind of timekeeping mechanism.
Telomeres
In the telomeric theory, is there is a crucial telomere length, disease or death may come quickly when the telomere is too _____ (long/short)
short
Telomere shortening is associated with __________
lifetime stress