Since aging goes far beyond an undesirable biological concept, I considered many ways I might begin this text. From a social perspective, aging plays the same catalytic role and marks the beginning of the end of an existence. But is it really this?

Aging It is a natural process that occurs from the moment the first cells inherited from the parents come together and form a new life.. So how did something that doesn’t even exist start the countdown?

Aging processes are quite complex and not fully understood. For example, it is known that not all cells of living things age at the same time. Without any biological contradictions, you can have 20-year-old skin and kidneys that look like they did years ago.

There are researchers who are more optimistic, and there are those who are more pessimistic, but the truth is that no one is sure. (Source: Getty Images)

Since aging processes are very complex, there are different theories on the subject. While some explain a natural biological process, others involve social intervention in cognitive and psychological aging that promotes aging by inducing stress on cells.

Aging is something that can happen to anyone, whether from the inside out or vice versa, and therefore research has been conducted on two fronts: Understand how aging occurs and how to slow or stop this process. And let’s start from the inside out.

essence of the problem

Researchers from Weil Cornell Medicine in the latest study published in the journal Nature Aging appears to have found a relationship between expansion of the cell nucleus and the turning on of the aging and death timer.

Inside each cell nucleus is a structure called the nucleolus, where ribosomal DNA is stored. Source: GettyImages.
Inside each cell nucleus is a structure called the nucleolus, where ribosomal DNA is stored. (Source: Getty Images)

Tests and observations were made with yeast cells. The selection of this cell class was made due to its functional similarity to human cells and other living things.

The observation revealed some interesting factors related to the aging processes of these cells, such as the enlargement of the nucleolus and greater accessibility for invasion of other nuclear elements.

This permeability of the structure contributes to the destabilization of ribosomal DNA (rDNA), hitherto protected from external interference. When the nucleolus expands, the death timer is triggered and the cells appear to be unable to proliferate more than five times before dying.

The process of apoptosis begins and the cell ceases to exist. Source: GettyImages.
The process of apoptosis begins and the cell ceases to exist. (Source: Getty Images)

To discover whether the aging process and lethal onset are truly triggered by the expansion of the nucleolus and the destabilization of rDNA, the group decided to connect the walls of the nucleolus to the cell nucleus.

To put it very simply, it would be like having one balloon inside another balloon. The walls of the inner balloon were “glued” to the outer balloon, so there was a limit to how much it could be inflated.

The result of this attempt was quite satisfactory. The data showed that keeping the nucleolus fixed and small, without this additional expansion, allowed the cell to survive and proliferate longer.

Ribosomal DNA is very fragile and not easy to repair; Additionally, constant replication for protein formation can create accumulations of errors that can trigger other problems if the cells do not undergo apoptosis.
Ribosomal DNA is very fragile and not easy to repair; Additionally, constant replication for protein formation can create accumulations of errors that can trigger other problems if the cells do not undergo apoptosis. (Source: Getty Images)

But it is far from that simple or a definitive answer to aging. The first dilemma is knowing when to expand the nucleolus. Observations have shown that growth is not a gradual thing, so some trigger triggers the need for this increase, but the reason is not yet known.

The rDNA contained in this structure is also very fragile and difficult to repair because it has very repetitive sequences that control the formation of ribosomes and protein synthesis. Errors in the array can accumulate during these replications.

And we know that sequential errors along with “immortal cells” invite serious diseases.

Cells need to be able to detect and eliminate serious errors, stopping the possibility of diseases such as cancer from developing. Source: GettyImages.
Cells need to be able to detect and eliminate serious errors, stopping the possibility of diseases such as cancer from developing. (Source: Getty Images)

But the researchers’ idea is to use the new discovery to extend the lifespan of stem cells, for example by giving them more opportunities to replicate, develop and “build” desired tissues.

Knowing how to stop this cellular aging process will also contribute to ensuring that rDNA remains stable and functional. perhaps avoiding chronic diseases that accompany aging, such as heart disease, neurodegenerative diseases, among others.

For the Weil Cornell Medicine group, although other factors of cellular aging, such as telomere shortening or cellular oxidation, may also be associated with loss of stability of nucleoli, research is only ongoing on initial findings and further investigation is needed. .

Until we have a therapy that can stop aging, why not consider other ways to age well?

If you are still young, tomorrow you will be a teenager with more life experience

How about thinking about some methods to age healthily while maintaining quality of life? Sure, your knees may creak and your back may complain, but it’s important to think of and implement strategies that will make this an enjoyable process.

As our bodies age, mediated by internal and external processes such as daily stress as well as exposure to sunlight, products, and chemicals, Factors that contribute to acceleration or delay of aging.

Physical activity is an excellent ally for healthy aging. Source: GettyImages.
Physical activity is an excellent ally of healthy aging. Source: Getty Images.

Eating a balanced diet, physical exercise, quality sleep and rest, as well as checking in with your doctor regularly can be good strategies to keep not only your body but also your mind more active and youthful, causing our biological chronometer to slow down. at the same time.

Genetic factors may also be related to the speed at which the countdown begins, so it’s up to us to do what we can while there is, and always is, time. How about starting today to age better?

But if this still doesn’t convince you, you might be interested in other studies on how aging can be “reversed.” Age with quality and knowledge by continuing to follow TecMundo. See you next time!

Source: Tec Mundo

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I'm Blaine Morgan, an experienced journalist and writer with over 8 years of experience in the tech industry. My expertise lies in writing about technology news and trends, covering everything from cutting-edge gadgets to emerging software developments. I've written for several leading publications including Gadget Onus where I am an author.

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