Cell Aging BioJuncture细胞衰老biojuncture.ppt

Cell Aging Aging is generally characterized by the declining ability to respond to stress, increasing homeostatic imbalance and increased risk of aging-associated diseases. Death is the ultimate consequence of aging. Differences in maximum life span between species correspond to different rates of aging. For example, inherited differences in the rate of aging make a mouse elderly at 3 years and a human elderly at 90 years. Genetic differences affect physiological processes like efficiency of DNA repair, antioxidant enzymes, rates of free radical production etc Senescence The process by which a cell looses its ability to divide, grow, and function. This loss of function ultimately ends in death. A degenerative process, only. Has no positive features. Traditionally aging was explained two theories Programmed theories imply that aging is regulated by biological clocks operating throughout the life span. This regulation would depend on changes in gene expression that affect the systems responsible for maintenance, repair and defense responses. Stochastic theories blame environmental impacts on living organisms that induce cumulative damage at various levels as the cause of aging, examples which range from damage to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), damage to tissues and cells by oxygen radicals (free radicals), and cross-linking. More recently theories of aging are categorized as Molecular Gene Theory Codon restriction Somatic mutation Gene regulation Cellular theory Free radical theory Wear and tear theory Apoptosis Senescence telomere loss (replicative senescence) cellular stress (cellular senescence). System theory Rate of living theory Neuro endocrine theory Immunologic theory Evolutionary theory Disposable soma Antagonistic pleiotropy Mutation accumulation Molecular Gene Theories Codon restriction - Fidelity/accuracy of mRNA translation is impaired due to inability to decode codons in mRNA. ? Error catastrophe - Fidelity of gene expression declines wit