Chapter 23: Late Adulthood (biosocial) Flashcards
A prejudice in which people are categorized and judged solely on the basis of their chronological age.
AGEISM
The multidisciplinary study of old age.
GERONTOLOGY
The medical specialty devoted to aging.
GERIATRICS
The ratio of self-sufficient productive adults to dependents (children and the elderly) in a given population
DEPENDENCY RATIO
A shortening of the time a person spends ill or infirm, accomplished by postponing illness.
Compression of morbidity
A view of aging as a process by which the human body wears out because of the passage of time and exposure to environmental stressors
WEAR AND TEAR THEORY
The number of times a human cell is capable of diving into two new cells. The limit for most human cells is approx. 50 divisions, an indication that the life span is limited by our genetic program
HAYFLICK LIMIT
A purported mechanism in the DNA of cells that regulates the aging process by triggering hormonal changes and controlling cellular reproductions and repair.
GENETIC CLOCK
The oldest possible age that members of a species can live, under ideal circumstances. For humans that age is approx. 122
MAXIMUM LIFESPAN
The number of years the average newborn in a particular population group is likely to live.
AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY
