Week 10B - Aging Flashcards
1
Q
What factors have contributed to life expectancy extension?
A
- Medical technology
- Clean water
- Food/agriculture
- Protection from predators
2
Q
What is Senescence?
A
The point at which cells stop dividing
3
Q
What is the Hayflick Limit?
A
The maximum number of times a cell divides
4
Q
What is a telomere?
A
-Natural end of chromosome (CCCTAA x250-1500)
5
Q
Explain how telomeres cause senescence.
A
- Telomeres grow shorter with each replication as DNA replication is not quite precise
- When telomeres become very short proteins detect this and signal cells to stop dividing to prevent damage to the DNA
6
Q
What protein extends telomeres?
A
Telomerase
7
Q
What is anoerexia nervosa?
A
Eating disorder characterized by extremely low body weight/distorted self-image
8
Q
How is calorie restriction proven to extend life span?
A
- Calorie restriction activates sirtuin protein
- Sirtuin is responsible for keeping DNA stable