Aging Process

You can describe the aging process with two different expressions which are as follows:

As our bodies age, they naturally deteriorate. In the later years, many essential functions begin operating at a suboptimal level. There are three main factors that influence the body´s aging process.

First factor: as we grow older the daily cellular reproduction gets worse. With advancing age, a larger percentage of our cells, even though they are present, are useless. And worse yet, these non-functional cells sometimes interfere with normal cellular processes.

Second factor: the aging process relates to cellular damage that causes the shortening of DNA, eventually triggering a process called apoptosis or "programmed cell death", which is most visible and obvious in our skin - the older we get the thinner our skin becomes.

Third factor: the aging involves the cellular down-regulation of our natural oxidative enzymes making our antioxidant defences less efficient.

So how do we age? The most prominent theory accepted by the scientific community has been termed the Free Radical Theory of Aging. Free radicals are mostly oxygencontaining molecules with single electrons in the outermost orbital that are very eager to pair up with anything else that has electrons. These short-lived molecules, with an average life span of one-millionth of a second, are very potent toxins that affect our bodies.

By attacking the cell´s DNA, free radicals destroy the cell, causing healthy cells to die prematurely. When we are young, our natural antioxidant defense system functions well by "mopping up" free radicals before they can cause damage. However as we age the antioxidant defense system becomes less efficient through down regulation of oxidative enzymes.

Why do cells become susceptible to free radical damage?

First, the daily energy production by the cell´s mitochondria generates increased numbers of free radicals as by-products.

The second reason is due to the constant access and utilization of nucleus DNA to make functional protein, followed by repairing and rewinding the DNA back into chromosomes. These activities often cause a fault in the repair process, damaging DNA.

The third reason is external free radical assault. The assault comes from sunlight (including UVA and UVB rays), pollution, stress, smoking, etc. Smoking a single cigarette generates trillions of free radicals.

Return from Aging Process to Home Page

Other Helpful Links

Subscribe to the free newsletter Rejuvenating-News