The human body is exceptionally durable relative to its size, especially against the inevitable. Aging occurs in everything- people, animals- even bacteria. While not everything ages the same, every living thing undergoes changes as they get older. These changes can affect the brain, organs, and skin. The real question is: how does aging affect the human body? The study of aging and how it affects the human body and humans in general is called Gerontology (Gerontology 1). Gerontology started with Nathan Shock and William Peter in 1958 (Why Study Aging? 1). While women were not involved in the studies initially, they do age just the same as men (Why Study Aging ? 1). The theories on aging range from UV light exposure, to by-products of the
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Some symptoms of aging are wrinkles, more frequent heart attacks, inflammation, or it may lead to alzheimers or diabetes (McGowan 1). The average human can lose one to three inches of height per year after age seventy (Minaker 1). This is a result of aging and changing in the bones, muscles, and joints (Minaker 1). Weight loss can occur from lean muscle becoming fat (Minaker1). Changes in weight or muscles can affect balance and cause more frequent falls (Minaker 1). Aging also causes bones to become thinner, temperature being harder to regulate, waste product accumulation in tissues, or abnormal structures to form in the brain (Aging Guide …show more content…
It protects the body from the environment, helps to control body temperature, helps control fluid electrolyte balance, and contains the nerve receptors for the senses (Minaker 1). The most evident signs of skin aging is wrinkles and sagging skin (Minaker 1). Cynthia Haines presents that "Smokers tend to have more wrinkles than nonsmokers of the same age". These changes can happen from environmental changes, genetic makeup, nutrition, and sun exposure. UV exposure can damage the elastin fibers in the skin (Haines 2). The natural pigments provide some protection against sun damage (Minaker 1), although elastin breakdown can cause the skin to sag, tear or bruise more easily, or the skin to take longer to heal (Haines 2). More causes of skin aging is stress, gravity, obesity, daily facial movement-even sleep position can cause the skin to crease (Haines 1-2). Dry skin is common with aging and can affect sleep, cause irritability, or it can be a symptom of a disease (Haines 2). While these are topical changes, loss of fat in the face below the skin may cause looser skin, sunken eyes, and a more skeleton appearance (Haines 2). The human body undergoes these types of changes everyday, inside and out, but these changes start at a later
Some symptoms of aging are wrinkles, more frequent heart attacks, inflammation, or it may lead to alzheimers or diabetes (McGowan 1). The average human can lose one to three inches of height per year after age seventy (Minaker 1). This is a result of aging and changing in the bones, muscles, and joints (Minaker 1). Weight loss can occur from lean muscle becoming fat (Minaker1). Changes in weight or muscles can affect balance and cause more frequent falls (Minaker 1). Aging also causes bones to become thinner, temperature being harder to regulate, waste product accumulation in tissues, or abnormal structures to form in the brain (Aging Guide …show more content…
It protects the body from the environment, helps to control body temperature, helps control fluid electrolyte balance, and contains the nerve receptors for the senses (Minaker 1). The most evident signs of skin aging is wrinkles and sagging skin (Minaker 1). Cynthia Haines presents that "Smokers tend to have more wrinkles than nonsmokers of the same age". These changes can happen from environmental changes, genetic makeup, nutrition, and sun exposure. UV exposure can damage the elastin fibers in the skin (Haines 2). The natural pigments provide some protection against sun damage (Minaker 1), although elastin breakdown can cause the skin to sag, tear or bruise more easily, or the skin to take longer to heal (Haines 2). More causes of skin aging is stress, gravity, obesity, daily facial movement-even sleep position can cause the skin to crease (Haines 1-2). Dry skin is common with aging and can affect sleep, cause irritability, or it can be a symptom of a disease (Haines 2). While these are topical changes, loss of fat in the face below the skin may cause looser skin, sunken eyes, and a more skeleton appearance (Haines 2). The human body undergoes these types of changes everyday, inside and out, but these changes start at a later