A new idea suggests ageing is a byproduct of how energy intensive it is for our bodies to repair faults”
The most widely cited theory of ageing is that telomeres, genetic caps on the ends of chromosomes, grow shorter each time a cell divides – like a wick burning on a candle. Once these are used up, the cell withers and dies. But a new idea gaining ground suggests ageing is instead a byproduct of how energy intensive it is for our bodies to continuously repair faults that occur in our DNA as cells divide. “It doesn’t make evolutionary sense to maintain that process for ever,” says Kirkwood. Indeed, several animal studies have shown that genes that affect lifespan do so by altering cells’ repair mechanisms. Little by little, faults build up in cells and tissues and cause us to deteriorate.
The most widely cited theory of ageing is that telomeres, genetic caps on the ends of chromosomes, grow shorter each time a cell divides – like a wick burning on a candle. Once these are used up, the cell withers and dies. But a new idea gaining ground suggests ageing is instead a byproduct of how energy intensive it is for our bodies to continuously repair faults that occur in our DNA as cells divide. “It doesn’t make evolutionary sense to maintain that process for ever,” says Kirkwood. Indeed, several animal studies have shown that genes that affect lifespan do so by altering cells’ repair mechanisms. Little by little, faults build up in cells and tissues and cause us to deteriorate.
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