Unit 2 "The Biology of Successful Aging" Flashcards
What is the difference between aging and senescence?
Aging refers to time-dependent changes in an organism, which can be positive, negative, or neutral. Senescence specifically refers to the deteriorative changes that reduce an organism’s viability and increase mortality risk.
What is the goal of biogerontology?
The goal of biogerontology is to understand the mechanisms of cellular and organismal senescence and to identify the determinants of successful aging and compression of morbidity, aiming to extend healthy life spans.
What is the disposable soma hypothesis?
The disposable soma hypothesis posits that after reproduction, an organism’s body (soma) is expendable.
This theory suggests a trade-off between the body’s investment in Reproduction and Somatic Maintenance (body maintenance)
(limited amount of energy or resources)
so as a result, organisms prioritize reproduction,
therefore contributing to age-related deterioration.
What is antagonistic pleiotropy?
Antagonistic pleiotropy is the concept that genes provide beneficial effects early in life (e.g., gene promoting reproduction) but can cause negative effects later in life (e.g., increases the risk of age-related diseases like cancer).
What is proteotoxicity and its role in aging?
Proteotoxicity refers to the accumulation of misfolded/damaged proteins due to age-related declines in being able to manage protein quality.
It contributes to cellular dysfunction (metabolism, DNA repair, etc) and is implicated in age-related diseases.
What are longevity assurance genes?
Longevity assurance genes are genes that increase life span by enhancing biological processes that maintain cellular and physiological integrity.
Physiological reserve, disease resistance, or processes such as DNA repair and antioxidant defense, rather than directly slowing the rate of aging.
So Rather than slowing down the aging process itself, these genes contribute to increased resistance to damage, stress, and disease
How does caloric restriction (CR) influence aging?
Caloric restriction (CR) extends life span and reduces age-related diseases by reducing total energy intake while maintaining nutrient adequacy. It alters metabolic pathways and reduces oxidative stress, though its effectiveness may vary across species and individuals.
What role does oxidative stress play in aging?
Oxidative stress results from the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which damage macromolecules like DNA, proteins, and lipids. This damage contributes to aging and age-related diseases, though direct evidence linking ROS to aging remains inconclusive.
What are biomarkers of aging and why are they important?
Biomarkers of aging are biological indicators used to measure the rate of aging or predict life span. They are crucial for identifying individuals aging at different rates and for testing anti-aging interventions in research. eg. Telomere length Mitochondrial function
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