BIOLOGICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL ASPECT OF AGING

• Senescence


  The process by which a cell loses its ability to divide, grow, and function. This loss of function ultimately ends in death.
• Senescence


  • A degenerative process
  • Has no positive features
• Normal Aging


  Diseases & impairments of elderly<|>People age differently
• Healthy Aging


  Minimize and preserve function<|>Influenced by lifestyle choices<|>One may have a healthy life until senescence makes life impossible
• Programmed Theories


  Aging has a biological timetable or internal biological clock
• Error Theories


  Aging is a result of internal or external assaults that damage cells or organs so they can no longer function properly
• Programmed Senescence Theory


  The result of sequential switching "off" or "on" of specific genes
• Hayflick's Limits


  • Fibroblasts removed from umbilical cord & cultured
  • Fibroblasts divide and repeated until ~ 50 divisions
  • Will not divide past this point
• Telomeres


  • Specialized DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes
  • They shorten with each cell division
  • When the telomeres become too short, the cell enters the senescence stage
• Telomerase


  The enzyme that fills the gap by attaching bases to the end of the chromosomes<|>As long as the cells have enough telomerase to do the job, they keep the telomeres long enough to prevent any important information from being lost as they go through each replication<|>With time, telomerase levels decrease<|>With decreasing telomerase levels, the telomeres become shorter and shorter
• Endocrine Theory


  Biological clocks act through hormones to control the pace of aging<|>Hormones effects growth, metabolism, temperature, inflammation and stress
• Menopause


  • Decreased level of estrogen & progesterone
  • Hot flashes, insomnia
• Immunologic Theory


  A programmed decline in the immune system leads to an increased vulnerability to disease, aging and death. Decreased T cells
• Immunologic Theory


  • Decreased T cells (helper cells) in adults
  • Increased diseases in older adults
  • Increased autoimmune diseases in adults
• Wear and Tear Theory


  Years of damage to cells, tissues and organs eventually wears them out, killing both them and the body
• Rate-of-Living Theory


  The greater an organism's basal metabolic rate, the shorter the life span<|>Free radicals or other metabolic by-products play a role in senesce
• Cross-Linking Theory


  The accumulation of cross-linked proteins damages cells and tissue, slowing down bodily processes
• Cross-Linking Theory


  • Non-enzymatic glycosylation reactions occur when glucose molecules attach to proteins causing a chain of chemical reactions resulting in a structural change to the proteins
  • Loss of flexibility of connective tissue
  • Microvascular changes in arteries
• Free Radical


  A molecule with an unpaired, highly reactive electron
• Oxygen free radical


  A very reactive free radical that may be produced during metabolism or as a result of environmental pollution
• Oxygen free radicals are formed in your cells, naturally, during the oxidation of food to water and carbon dioxide
• Error Catastrophe Theory


  Any damage to the enzyme systems that synthesize proteins in the body results in faulty protein synthesis. The faulty proteins continue to accumulate in the cell until they reach a level that damages the cells, tissues, and organs. When enough damage accumulates, this may result in cell malfunctioning (aging) leading to death.
• Somatic Mutation Theory


  Genetic mutations occur and accumulate with age in the somatic cell causing the cell to deteriorate and malfunction. The accumulation of mutations results in damage to the DNA. The theory states that aging is an imbalance between DNA's ability to repair itself and accumulating DNA damage. When the damage exceeds the repair, the cell malfunctions and this can lead to senescence.
• Longevity


  Health and stability of a person
• Factors affecting speed and characteristics of aging

  • Lifestyle (50%)
  • Hereditary (20%)
  • External environment (20%)
  • Healthcare system (10%)
• Sense


  The reason of staying young and healthy. Loss of sense in life can lead to depression, which is a leading cause of premature aging.
• Sport


  Physical training prevents loss of muscle and bone mass, supports the life tonus and provides energy. Intensive training can reverse aging process and rejuvenate. Aerobics can make men appear 5 years younger and women 4 years younger.
• Smile


  Expressing the attitude towards life. Emotional spirit affects internal well-being through our neurohormonal mechanism. 20 seconds of laughter = 5 minutes running on treadmill, 1 minute of laughter from pleasant memories = 45 minutes of meditation.
• Sex


  Restores vital systems function and influences life expectancy.
• Sleep


  A person sleeps 22 years during lifetime. High quality sleep is an indispensable condition to normal functioning. 7 to 8 hours of sleep. Low quality sleep causes dysfunction of the central nervous system, decrease in work capacity, and increase in fatigue and irritability. 1/5 of the world population suffers from insomnia, which is probably due to decreased melatonin output in the body.
• Supper


  Diet and nutrients determine the energy, biological and immune functions of the body. Absence or insufficiency of any of them cause disruption of body function. Decrease in metabolism and the ability to process nutritional substances in aging people leads to more volume of fat tissue than muscles.
• Support


  Family and friends. Happy family atmosphere, love, care and friendship influence the state of well-being.
• Lifestyle


  A complex concept itself, including the way of living, satisfaction of general spiritual and physical needs, attitude towards health, emotional condition etc. It has 7 "S" components.
• Mature-Life Theories 


  Bernice Neugarten describes tasks that must be accomplished for successful aging, including accepting reality and the imminence of death, coping with physical illness, and accepting the necessity of being dependent on outside support while still making independent choices that can give satisfaction. A person must remain as active as possible (activity theory).
• General Theory of Disengagement

  This controversial theory states that both older people and society mutually withdraw from each other, as a person gradually disconnects from other people in anticipation of death, and intrinsic changes in personality occur which allow a person to psychologically withdraw from society's expectations.
• List down below:

  Sense, Sport, Smile, Sex, Sleep, Supper, Support.
• Aging The gradual and spontaneous changes that occur in

  maturation from infant to young adult. These

  changes create a normal physiologic decline seen in

  middle and late adulthood
• Ego Preoccupation 


  they may feel they have lived a useless life and experience.
• Ego Transcendence 


  If a person believes their life has worth and "life contributions" will live on after death, they experience.
• Body Transcendance 


  A person either accepts the limitations that accompany the aging process