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Scientists define DNA Damage response (DDR) as messages sent by chromosomes with critically short telomeres. These messages then signal widespread changes in gene expressions. These changes may be signaling a failure coming and make the organism age rapidly and die. These signals may be a last minute attempt to change the organism to survive but the damage may be so severe that it is not possible.
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georgefebish
Nov 13, 2011 @ 09:47:27
The odd thing is that some of the lifeforms on Earth don’t have this feature. Some ‘primitive’ lifeforms never get old and are effectively immortal. It seems that nature found a survival advantage in removing the ‘old’ and allowing it to be replaced by the ‘new’. It’s what has allowed evolution to eventually create those now beginning to understand the process – us.
Now the question is could it be possible to turn back the process and switch off aging? It’s effectively what doctors have being trying to do for millennia. If it could be done – should it be done? What about population explosions, starvation, running out of resources and the pollution caused by a rapidly expanding population? Would a research team who had the answer have the right to withhold their discovery?
It’s an interesting concept which is the subject of our ‘A Vested Interest’ novels. At the moment it’s fiction but at the current rate of progress in genetics it might soon become reality.
Nov 14, 2011 @ 07:20:23
You bring up good social and economic reasons for not living forever. Matter in this Universe is destined to end or cease to exit at some point but we can probably increase humman lifespan at lot. If we do it and we still have the deseases we have today, what kind of quality of life will that be?