The inevitable-Aging
What is the inevitable?
So what causes aging?.And how is that life of some organisms so small compared to the ones that live for years together?.For the answer to the first question;there are many theories that try to explain aging.The answer to the second question ig genetics.Researchers found that most animals who could replicate their genes soon(successful reproduction within short time)have shorter span of life.For example, consider elephants-their chance of survival and going into adulthood is very less.Hence they have a considerable lifespan of 50 years.Yet some flies lay their eggs within days of their hatching from their egg,hence they have shorter lifespan.
As discussed before, there are only theories to explain why living organisms age.Though the exact cause for the aging process is yet to de found, scientists are trying to learn a great deal about the aging process and the mechanism that makes aging happen. So where do we look for answers about aging? we look into the tiny world or cells itself.Microscopic studies are underway to study the changes that occur within the cells of a living organism,as it undergoes aging.
Why do we age? and what do we do to stop aging?
These are the questions that many are willing to give crores of rupees to get answered.But ironically there are only ways to postpone the process.But nothing to stop it.These same questions bothered a man, who started investigating the aging process.It was in 1965,that an American microbiologist named Leonard Hayflick observed that under laboratory conditions, human cells can duplicate up to 50 times before they stop. Hayflick also noted that when cells stop normal cell division, they start to age, or senesce.Since Hayflick’s observations, scientists have been searching for the cause,what scientists like to call as the senescent factor-SF, of why cells stop dividing and thus age.Different theories have been proposed to explain how SF works.one such theory suggests that due to the frequent diseases and ailments that occur in body, the damage to the cells adds up during the cell division process until eventually the damage is un-repairable and cell division stops.Hence aging starts.
So what we can assume from the above statement is the we are slowly dying because we breath oxygen? well not necessarily.Oxygen is one of the causes for the formation of free radicals,but there are other causes too.So don't be afraid to breath!.It is assumed that free radicals drastically increase the severity of diseases or perhaps even cause such life-shortening diseases as diabetes,mellitus, strokes, and heart attacks.Researchers have observed that free radicals exist in smaller amounts in those species with relatively long life spans.Hence increasing human life span may depend on our ability to prevent free radical damage, and scientists are currently examining the role of chemical compounds, called antioxidants, that prevent or reverse oxidative damage in the aging process.In simple terms, antioxidants prevent oxidation hence prevent the formation of free radicals.
We all might at some point of time,felt that our PCs are slowing down due to some reasons.What is the first action someone suggests you do? remove unwanted files(temp,recent documents,history,etc.,)free your hard disk,then the computer might run a bit fast.It is applicable only for PCs? that might not be the case.There is a theory that proposes that extra, useless bits of DNA accumulate over time within a cell's nucleus. Eventually this so-called junk DNA builds up to levels that clog normal cell action. If this idea is correct, scientists may be able to find ways to prevent accumulation of junk DNA, thereby slowing down the process of senescence in cells(oh then our DNA needs a recycle bin!).
Some researches have focused on the limits of cell division.i.e how much can a cell keep dividing itself?Isn't there a limit to it's division?.Pondering about these kinds of questions, scientists have come up with some explanation:Each time a cell divides, it duplicates its DNA, and in each division the sections at the ends of DNA[called the telomeres], are gradually depleted, or shortened. Eventually as the telomeres get so much depleted that they start to hinder with the cell division process, typically within 50 cell divisions. SO what is the remedy? well to do the opposite of course-scientists have found that an enzyme produced by the human body, called telomerase, can prolong the life of the telomeres, thus extending the number of cell divisions.In studies made at contained environment(in laboratory), cells injected with telomerase continue to divide well beyond the normal limit of 50 cell divisions.These convincing results from the telomeres have stirred the interest of various scientists all over the world.
Now that we came to know somethings about the aging process,what does aging affect(in context of humans)?
As you get old, the first thing to decline is your ability to hear they say.And some suggest loss of clear vision.Whatever might be the first to go out of order, one thing is true- your body is not responding as well, as it did when you were young.One of the main problems,many older people experience is problems with memory, and up to 10 percent of the elderly have memory problems significant enough to interfere with their ability to function independently. Memory problems were once considered an inevitable effect of the aging process, but researchers have determined that many of the brain-related changes often observed in elderly people, including memory loss, are actually a result of such diseases as Alzheimer’s disease and diseases associated with blood vessels and blood flow in the brain, such as a stroke or an epilepsy. Memory loss is sometimes treatable, and certain memory-aiding strategies have been found to help reverse the short-term memory loss experienced by many older people.But again,as the article title suggests, it's inevitable!.
But it's not entirely true that older persons always need aid and they can't handle themselves independently.For example an older individual requires more time to sort out all of the information presents itself quickly.Traveling at 100 kmph, an elderly driver may miss road side signs. But if older individuals recognize this limitation and adjust their behavior accordingly, they can continue driving safely well into old age!.So it's all bout adjusting and getting along,instead of mourning and doing nothing.
There is also one more important thing that gets affected when a person ages-the immune system also changes with age. A healthy immune system protects the body against bacteria, viruses, and other harmful agents by producing disease-fighting proteins known as antibodies.But as we start to age,the inevitable happens and our body is not able to produce new cells hence the production of immunity cells also declines and we are left wide open for all the microorganisms to feed on!.
So isn't there a cure for all these?
Let's get things straight here,first you don't ask "is there a cure?" since aging is not a disease,it's a natural cycle so you don't cure it, you either prevent it or stop it from occurring(so, only diseases get cured).The next thing is you can always age happily and healthily.Aging is the mere slowing down of our spare parts!.
Always remember that habits not only make your character, they can also help you live longer!.Healthy habits can actually repair your DNA, say researchers Dean Ornish and Elizabeth Blackburn. Their study subjects ate vegetarian whole foods with 10 percent of calories from fat, they exercised like simple walks or jogging for 30mins everyday,opted for stress reduction methods(clearing and calming your mind).The results? Besides a decrease in cholesterol and stress levels, they showed a 29 percent rise in telomerase(remember this thing from previous paragraphs?).This enzyme repairs and lengthens telomeres, tiny protein complexes on the ends of chromosomes that are vital for immunity and longevity. Short telomeres and low levels of telomerase signal an increased risk of heart disease and cancer, plus a catalyst in making thins worse if you are already bad due to some illness.
According to a research in Harvard,middle-aged men/women who ate right, exercised, stayed at a healthy weight, and never smoked had a 71 percent lower risk of premature death than those who had none of the healthy habits. The healthy men and women also reduced their risk of cancer death by 65 percent and fatal heart disease by almost 90 percent. The worst habit? Smoking. Those who smoked 1 to 14 cigarettes a day had a 94 percent higher risk of early death(death before your hair gets white!). But as obesity becomes much more common than smoking,obesity is the first thing someone must try to eliminate.Try to know your height-weight ratio,your body fat content and reduce them to the levels needed for a healthy living.
A walk with your son or daughter or even a friend or your spouse gives you a chance to talk over the day, and playing badminton or or jogging would help you physically.But that's not the reason you must go out,here's why: Getting active can mean a longer life for you. 3%: That's how much a moderately fit woman cut her risk of dying of breast cancer in a three-decade study from the University of South Carolina.Men with the highest fitness levels halved their risk of heart diseases.A daily half-hour walk can get you moderately fit; exercise vigorously for the same amount of time for high fitness( an Arnold like physique).Three hours of sports or heavy gardening or washing car ,playing with your children or just simle work out once a week was enough to do the trick for beginners.And also try our gift to the world-Yoga.
Ultimately if,it's all just toomuch to follow are take up in your life,then JUST WALK. When you can't walk a half a kilometer in five minutes, your chance of dying within three years goes up dramatically!.Second most important is building a community,avoiding isolation.Because if your heart doesn't have a reason to keep beating, then why should it?
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