In the article Role of Telomeres in Aging, HoJun Kweon and HyoJu Kweon describe the effects of shortened telomeres on cellular aging. Inside the nucleus of a cell, all genes are arranged in two strands of DNA called chromosomes. In order to help elongate and protect the genetic material of cells as well as make it possible for cell division to occur, telomeres are at the ends of the DNA. Because they modify cellular responses based on hereditary and environmental factors, things such as oxidative damage, choice of lifestyle, and telomere length all affect them. When cells divide, telomeres become shorter and essentially begin killing the cell itself and in the long run cause aging in the body. These small telomeres make a big impact on a
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Oxidative stress, glycation, telomere shortening, and chronological age along with various genes all work together to cause these alterations. Telomeres are the timekeepers of cells. When looking at a group of individuals over the age of 60, it was seen that those who were three times more likely to die from heart disease and eight time from likely to die from infectious disease had shorter telomeres. One of the theories of how telomeres are getting this short is the “oxidative stress” theory. This is where reactive oxygen species are said to cause aging by attacking DNA, causing chromosomal instability, and inducing telomere shortening. After this occurs, there are inferences with the mitochondria, the main target of oxidative damage, one which induces apoptosis or the death of a cell. Tests have been done to shed light on this theory. Reactive oxygen species are necessary in small amounts but when they get too high, they can cause cellular damage. Lifestyle factors can also influence the length of telomeres. Because of this, scientists have run experiments on groups of people with cancer and watched as healthy diets, good exercise, stress reduction, and social interaction all help to increase the length of telomeres when compared to people with the pervious same conditions who had shorter …show more content…
Cells divide more often as they become cancerous, causing telomeres to become very short. In that case, telomerase enzymes may be made by the cell to escape death. These enzymes prevent the telomeres from getting even shorter. If scientists could learn how to block telomerase, they could potentially stop cancer. This however would involve them to have an understanding of exactly how aging of cells work and directly how it correlates to the aging of the human body. While this is true-that it is hard to prove-there has been evidence seen in more than just cancer patients which helps to support this theory. People with dyskeratosis congenita for example have telomeres which get shorter much more quickly than the average person’s. Because of their telomere lengths, these people experience premature aging and in many cases death. Studies also show that those with short telomeres have a higher risk of leukemia, pulmonary fibrosis, and other fatal conditions as well as some less severe such as graying hair, softening of bones, and learning
Oxidative stress, glycation, telomere shortening, and chronological age along with various genes all work together to cause these alterations. Telomeres are the timekeepers of cells. When looking at a group of individuals over the age of 60, it was seen that those who were three times more likely to die from heart disease and eight time from likely to die from infectious disease had shorter telomeres. One of the theories of how telomeres are getting this short is the “oxidative stress” theory. This is where reactive oxygen species are said to cause aging by attacking DNA, causing chromosomal instability, and inducing telomere shortening. After this occurs, there are inferences with the mitochondria, the main target of oxidative damage, one which induces apoptosis or the death of a cell. Tests have been done to shed light on this theory. Reactive oxygen species are necessary in small amounts but when they get too high, they can cause cellular damage. Lifestyle factors can also influence the length of telomeres. Because of this, scientists have run experiments on groups of people with cancer and watched as healthy diets, good exercise, stress reduction, and social interaction all help to increase the length of telomeres when compared to people with the pervious same conditions who had shorter …show more content…
Cells divide more often as they become cancerous, causing telomeres to become very short. In that case, telomerase enzymes may be made by the cell to escape death. These enzymes prevent the telomeres from getting even shorter. If scientists could learn how to block telomerase, they could potentially stop cancer. This however would involve them to have an understanding of exactly how aging of cells work and directly how it correlates to the aging of the human body. While this is true-that it is hard to prove-there has been evidence seen in more than just cancer patients which helps to support this theory. People with dyskeratosis congenita for example have telomeres which get shorter much more quickly than the average person’s. Because of their telomere lengths, these people experience premature aging and in many cases death. Studies also show that those with short telomeres have a higher risk of leukemia, pulmonary fibrosis, and other fatal conditions as well as some less severe such as graying hair, softening of bones, and learning