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2 - The biology of ageing

A primer

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

By
João Pedro de Magalhães
Edited by
Ian Stuart-Hamilton
João Pedro de Magalhães
Affiliation:
University of Liverpool
Ian Stuart-Hamilton
Affiliation:
University of Glamorgan
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Summary

OVERVIEW

This chapter introduces key biological concepts of ageing. First, it defines ageing and presents the main features of human ageing, followed by a consideration of evolutionary models of ageing. Causes of variation in ageing (genetic and dietary) are reviewed, before examining biological theories of the causes of ageing.

Introduction

Thanks to technological progress in different areas, including biomedical breakthroughs in preventing and treating infectious diseases, longevity has been increasing dramatically for decades. The life expectancy at birth in the UK for boys and girls rose, respectively, from 45 and 49 years in 1901 to 75 and 80 in 1999 with similar figures reported for other industrialized nations (see Chapter 1 for further discussion). A direct consequence is a steady increase in the proportion of people living to an age where their health and well-being are restricted by ageing. By the year 2050, it is estimated that the percentage of people in the UK over the age of 65 will rise to over 25 per cent, compared to 14 per cent in 2004 (Smith, 2004).

The greying of the population, discussed elsewhere (see Chapter 1), implies major medical and societal changes. Although ageing is no longer considered by health professionals as a direct cause of death (Hayflick, 1994), the major killers in industrialized nations are now age-related diseases like cancer, diseases of the heart and neurodegenerative diseases.

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Chapter
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An Introduction to Gerontology , pp. 21 - 47
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

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