Theories Of Aging

Question 1

Theories of aging

Answer 1

Genetic 
Wear and tear/mechanical 
Collagen 
Free radical 
Cellular

Question 2

Genetic theories of aging

Answer 2

• telomere theory: telomeres shorten with each duplication over time leading to accumulation of error
• programmed life span (rectangularization of aging)

Question 3

Wear and tear

Answer 3

Human body is like a car
Parts wear out
Entropy-errors accumulate with time
There are some holes in this theory by itself

Arthritis in the knee, heart valves

Question 4

Collagen cross link and aging

Answer 4

Glucose binds to proteins and results in damage to proteins, resulting in increasing collagen cross linking

Skin wrinkling
Brain aging

Question 5

Free radicals

Answer 5

• free radicals build up in the body as we age
• free radicals cause cellular damage
• basis for all vitamin therapies
• this theory has been proven in animal models of caloric restriction

Question 6

Cellular theories

Answer 6

Hayflick limit: human cells will only divide a certain number of times (about 50) before dying/can slow down by limiting calories

Development of auto-antibody with aligning
-supported by autoimmune disease

Membrane theory

• cell membranes cant pass lipid materials as easily with increased age, results in increased lipofuscin
• supported by Alzheimer’s