How Can We Live Longer Essay Research

How Can We Live Longer Essay, Research Paper

Contents

Introduction:

I. Why do We Age

A. Theories of Aging

II. What is Longevity

A. Life Span and Life Expectancy

III. What determines Longevity

III. Why Don.t Most Americans Live Past the Average Life

Expectancy

IV. Leading Causes Of Death (table)

V. What Do We Do to Live Longer

Conclusion:

Introduction

What is the fear of most humans. The fear is aging and death. In

this paper you will find out a lot about aging. You will learn what

longevity is, what determines it, the average length of life and how you

can exceed it. You will find it amazing that doing simple things every day

will help you to feel better an live longer.

Why Do We Age.

From the time we are born we start to die. This is life. No one

knows how long they are going to live, but we can try to do all that we can

to live longer. Aging is not controlled by any one. Aging is a genetic

process. We get so old until our bodies breakdown. What causes the

breakdown, the decline of energy, The inability of the body to function.

There is nothing to fully explain why we age, but their are some theories

the will help explain what happens.

Theories of Aging

The Genetic Theory states that cells contain .aging. genes that

tells the exact number of times the cell can duplicate itself, for humans that

about 110 to 120 years. Another theory suggest the cells DNA somehow

becomes defective after a certain point and synthesizes defective protein.

The defect disables normal cell functioning, causing the cell to deteriorate-

fall apart.

The Immune System Malfunctions is a theory of aging involving the

immune system. It says that the body begin to miscalculate in

synthesizing proteins and make proteins that the immune system cannot

recognize. The immune system then would attack them as it would any

foreign substance, destroying the cells and impairing the body functions.

Some other Theories are much more complicated. the programmed

theories are:

Programmed Senescence. Aging is the result of the sequential switching

on and off of certain genes, with senescence being defined as time when

age- associated deficits are manifested.

Endoctrine Theory. Biological clocks act through hormones to control the

pace of aging.

Immunological Theory. A programmed decline in immune system

functions leads to an increased disadvantage to infectious disease and as a

result is aging and death.

Error Theories include:

Wear and Tear. Cells and tissue have vital part that wear out.

Rate of Living. The greater an organism.s rate of oxygen basic metabolism,

the shorter the life span.

Cross linking. An accumulation of crossed linked proteins damage cells

and tissues, slowing down bodily process.

Free Radicals. Accumulated damage caused by oxygen radicals causes

cells and eventually organs to stop functioning.

Error Catastrophe. Damage to mechanisms that synthesize proteins

results in faulty protein which accumulate to a level that causes

catastrophic damage to cells and organs.

Somatic Mutation. Genetic occur and accumulate with increasing age,

causing cells to fall apart and stop working.

Having read the list of theories you could gain an underrating of

what happens through the different processes . Like Dr. Hayfick say,

.Instead of asking why do we age. we should be asking why do we live

as long as we do..

What is Longevity.

Longevity is a term , taken from infoplease encyclopedia, denoting

the length or duration of the life of an animal or plant, often used to

indicate an unusually long life.

Life Span and Life Expectancy

How long can we live. Gerontologists always mentions two kinds

of life spans, Maximum Life Span and Average Life Span. Most scientist

declare that our maximum life span is 120 years. The average life span of a

human is the average age that is reached by members of the population.

Life Expectancy is the number of years a person or individual can expect to

live, this is based upon average life spans.

Average life span and life expectancy has grown dramatically in

this century. In 1900 the average life span was 47years now 1990 it

increased to 75 years. This advancement is mainly because of medical

improvements and sanitation improvements.

On the other hand maximum human life span seem to be a problem.

There is no evidence that this has changed for thousands of years despite

the fabled fountains of youth and biblical tales of people living to be 500

years. Life expectancy has moved from legend to laboratory.

Gerontologist explore the genes , cells, and organs envolving aging. they

are tring to uncover more secrets of longevity.

What Determines Longevity.

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