Ex1 Review Session

Question 1

In the graph of death rate across all ages, there is an “out of place” spike at age —- because of —–.

Answer 1

age 0 because of infant mortality

Question 2

What are the leading causes of death?

Answer 2

heart disease and cancer

Question 3

There was a big spike in death rate from cold/flu during…

Answer 3

the spanish flu

Question 4

North America has an ——- average lifespan.

Answer 4

above average

Question 5

Genetics determine ——- while environment determines ———.

Answer 5

genetics - longevity - the length of life
environment - aging - the decline in physiological functions

Question 6

How is the aging of hydra different than humans?

Answer 6

their stem cells will grow and divide indefinitely

Question 7

How is the aging of elephants different than humans?

Answer 7

they have a shorter lifespan than humans but have longer reproductive span and longer gestation

Question 8

What are the two main NIA objectives?

Answer 8

• better understand the biology of aging and effect on disease
  (aging is not a disease, factors, physical changes, loss of adaptation)
• better understand the effects of personal/societal factors on aging
  (

Question 9

Aging is NOT…

Answer 9

a disease

Question 10

What is the NIA?

Answer 10

National Institute on Aging

Question 11

What are the three components of successful aging?

Answer 11

avoid disease
maintain physiologic/cognitive function
remain active in life

Question 12

What are advantages and disadvantages of using the terms successful and usual aging?

Answer 12

advantages:
benchmark for when age related interventions should start

disadvantages:
not attainable, most people have decline, everyone is different

Question 13

What are the three main physiological changes in aging?

Answer 13

• physiological rhythms
• loss of complexity
• homeostenosis

Question 14

What is loss of complexity?

Answer 14

tissue degeneration/organ systems slow, feedback loops diminish, and it is harder to adapt to stresses

Question 15

What is homeostenosis?

Answer 15

a decreased ability to maintain homeostasis under stress (physiologic limit is lower, stress pushes you over, can’t restore homeostasis)

Question 16

What is frailty?

Answer 16

clinically recognizable, decrease reserves/funtion cause increase vulnerability and less ability to cope with stressors

Question 17

Homeostenosis causes ——–

Answer 17

frailty

Question 18

What is the senescence theory of aging?

Answer 18

effects of bad genes only appear after reproduction, so they escape natural selection (increase uterine proliferation can lead to uterine cancer later on)

Question 19

What is the genome maintenance theory of aging?

Answer 19

humans have longer lifespans because they maintain their genome better than other species

Question 20

What is the neuroendocrine theory of aging?

Answer 20

hormone levels decrease in aging, less feedback loop activity

Question 21

What is the free radical theory of aging?

Answer 21

free radicals cause oxidative DNA damage

Question 22

What is the rate of living theory of aging?

Answer 22

biological processes reduce because out metabolic rate slows as we age

Question 23

What is the replicative senescence theory of aging?

Answer 23

Hayflick limit - cells can only divide a certain number of times, “cellular clock,” telomeres get shorter every division until they are gone, and there will be no more division

Question 24

What biochemical pathways are currently believed to be important to aging?

Answer 24

energy consumption
stress resistance
regulation of IGF-1 neuroendocrine pathway

Question 25

What is a theory?

Answer 25

explanation for something that has the ability to be disproven

Question 26

What are the three sub types of the evolutionary senescence theory?

Answer 26

mutation accumulation: late in life mutations get passed on
antagonistic pleiotropy: good genes early can become bad with age (pay later)
disposable soma: hazardous environment favors earlier reproduction and short lifespan

Question 27

What is the term for aging without any health complications/diseases?

Answer 27

the gold-standard