Causes of Aging

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Abstract
A broad biological approach makes it possible to understand why aging exists and also why different mammalian species have very different maximum longevities. The adult organism is maintained in a functional state by at least ten major mechanisms, which together constitute a substantial proportion of all biological processes. These maintenance mechanisms eventually fail, because the evolved physiological and anatomical design of higher animals is incompatible with continual survival. The life span of each mammalian species depends on the efficiency of maintenance of their cells, tissues, and organs, and there is much evidence that such maintenance is more effective in long-lived species, such as humans, than in short-lived small mammals. It is also evident that there is an inverse relationship between reproductive potential and longevity, which would be expected if available metabolic resources are shared between investment in reproduction and investment in the preservation of the adult body. It is proposed that the eventual failure of maintenance leads to the pathological changes seen in age-associated disease. Although we now have a biological understanding of the aging process, much future research will be needed to uncover the cellular and molecular changes that give rise to age-associated diseases. The major aim of such research is to devise procedures to delay or prevent the onset of these diseases.

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