Genomics of Aging

Question 1

What are the three main hallmarks of aging?

Answer 1

• genomic instability, telomere attrition, and epigenetic alterations

Question 2

Are there any anti-aging genes that have been discovered?

Answer 2

Yes. There has been an anti-aging gene that has been discovered by Cynthia Kenyon. Mutations in the gene extended life, but most importantly extended healthy aging.

Question 3

What are the model organisms looked at in class?

Answer 3

• mice, yeast, fruit fly, and worms

Question 4

Homologous

Answer 4

• genes in different organisms that are similar in sequence and perform the same function

Question 5

What are different definitions of aging?

Answer 5

• chronological age, social age, visible age, biological age, psychological age

Question 6

Blue zones

Answer 6

populations of people with higher than average lifespan

Question 7

Four factors are most positively correlated with lifespan

Answer 7

• increasing education levels, increase HDL cholesterol levels, giving up smoking, and increasing openness to experiences.

Question 8

Five factors are most negatively correlated with lifespan

Answer 8

• risk of lung cancer, number of cigarettes smoked per day, insulin resistance, susceptibility to coronary artery disease, body fat index

Question 9

How much does genes impact aging?

Answer 9

only 7% can be explained due to genetic factors