Senescence (/sɪˈnɛsəns/) or biological aging is the gradual
deterioration of functional characteristics. The word senescence can
refer either to cellular senescence or to senescence of the whole
organism. Organismal senescence involves an increase in death rates
and/or a decrease in fecundity with increasing age, at least in the
latter part of an organism's life cycle.Senescence is the inevitable
fate of all multicellular organisms with germ-soma separation, but it
can be delayed. The discovery, in 1934, that calorie restriction can
extend lifespan by 50% in rats, and the existence of species having
negligible senescence and potentially immortal organisms such as
Hydra, have motivated research into delaying senescence and thus
age-related diseases. Rare human mutations can cause accelerated aging
diseases.Environmental factors may affect aging, for example,
overexposure to ultraviolet radiation accelerates skin aging.
Different parts of the body may age at different rates. Two organisms
of the same species can also age at different rates, making biological
aging and chronological aging distinct concepts.
deterioration of functional characteristics. The word senescence can
refer either to cellular senescence or to senescence of the whole
organism. Organismal senescence involves an increase in death rates
and/or a decrease in fecundity with increasing age, at least in the
latter part of an organism's life cycle.Senescence is the inevitable
fate of all multicellular organisms with germ-soma separation, but it
can be delayed. The discovery, in 1934, that calorie restriction can
extend lifespan by 50% in rats, and the existence of species having
negligible senescence and potentially immortal organisms such as
Hydra, have motivated research into delaying senescence and thus
age-related diseases. Rare human mutations can cause accelerated aging
diseases.Environmental factors may affect aging, for example,
overexposure to ultraviolet radiation accelerates skin aging.
Different parts of the body may age at different rates. Two organisms
of the same species can also age at different rates, making biological
aging and chronological aging distinct concepts.
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