Aging and Altered Cellular/Tissue Biology

"As you age your body adapts"

Aging+Life Span+Life Expectancy

Aging:
accumulation of damaged macromolecules
normal/inevitable/universal

human life span:
time from birth to death
maximal: 80-100 years

life expectancy:
the average number of years of life remaining at a given age

current generation may have a shorter life span than previous generations

Degenerative Extracellular Changes

collagen binding+cross linking→increased frailty

increased free radical effects on cells→destroys DNA

structural alterations

peripheral vascular disease+oxidative stress

Aging Affects+Frailty

cellular aging:
atrophy
decreased functioning
loss of cells

tissue+systemic aging: progressive stiffness+rigidity

frailty:
complex clinical syndrome
-oxidative stress
-dysregulation of inflammatory cytokines+hormones
-malnutrition
-physical inactivity
-muscle apoptosis

Somatic Death

death of the entire person

no inflammatory response

postmortem changes

breathing+blood circulation stopped

algor mortis→reduced temperature

livor mortis→purple skin discoloration

rigor mortis→muscle stiffening

postmortem autolysis:
release of enzymes→lytic dissolution→body decay