The causes of aging are diverse and complex. Unfortunately, today there is no unified theory that fully explains the aging mechanism. However, there are a number of alternative hypotheses that often complement each other.
Instructions
Step 1
Perhaps one of the most widespread theories explaining the aging of an organism is the hypothesis of a genetically inherent program of self-destruction. According to the adherents of this theory, apoptosis (the mechanism of cell death) is inherent not only in individual cells, but in the whole organism as a whole. Simply put, each person has a predetermined life span.
Step 2
Supporters of the concept of depletion tend to believe that over time, the human body decays and wears out, just as practically everything that exists in nature wears out. Those. aging is a process of wear and tear of individual parts of our body, comparable to the wear and tear of any equipment.
Step 3
Another explanation for the aging mechanism of the human body is the theory of free radical oxidation. According to this concept, one of the determining factors in the destruction of the human body is considered to be the impact of free radicals formed during the course of metabolism. These aggressive molecules harm everything they come into contact with. Cell membranes are especially susceptible to their effects. It should be noted that this hypothesis explains not only the aging mechanism itself, but also a number of pathologies accompanying this process - cataracts, brain dysfunction, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, etc.
Step 4
The following theory explains aging by the loss of cellular storage. Almost all cells in the body are capable of division. But, as it turned out relatively recently, with each division, the chain of DNA molecules is shortened, and therefore, the number of these divisions themselves is of course. At some point, the amount of genetic material is no longer sufficient to support the life of the cell and, as a result, it dies. That is, over time, our body loses its ability to recover and self-renew.
