Aging is an unnecessary tool

The world is changing rapidly, but quietly. Somewhere in the laboratories today to overthrow habitual truths and discover new, amazing.

Nature has come up with aging to shivsena individuals gave way to the carriers of new genes. Regular change of generation was the basis of evolution. But today, aging — unnecessary tool.What is aging?

It is a gradual and consistent weakening of all body functions that ends in death. There are several hypotheses on why this happens with living organisms. Supporters of the classical version, which prevailed for many years, I believe that the body ages, simply because it is very complex. Similarly, aging car: hit a pothole, something rusted, bent. Minor injuries accumulate and eventually breaks something, without which the car cannot work. The people are so "broken" heart, liver, brain, blood vessels.

I have a different point of view: the process of damage accumulation is programmed in genes that we didn't live too long and did not interfere with the new generations. This is well illustrated by the example of the primitive creatures like yeast. When all is well, they are, in fact, immortal, their cells divide endlessly. But if conditions worsen, the yeast move on to sexual reproduction and then give birth to death. After exchanging genetic information, old flames die, and death is triggered by pheromones — substances that are necessary for the sexual process. The program is indirectly indicated by the fact that individuals of each species die about the same characteristic for this species, age.

We don't know how a program is organized, but it is not mandatory: there are complex organisms that it partially lifted. Bats Brandt — tiny bats live for 50 years, and like them shrews rarely make it to three. Why nature is getting rid of older people and other mammals in such a humiliating manner, through aging? Many organisms, for example, octopus or salmon, simple and fast die shortly after reproduction.

To answer the question, imagine two birds, one bit smarter, the second is a little more stupid. While rabbits are young, they are equally good at running away from the Fox, but when you get older, the difference in mind is crucial. "Intellectual" hare faster will notice a predator and you will be saved, and "simple" eat. Rabbits — and not only them — aging starts when the animals can still reproduce, so the genes of the beast that is smarter, more likely to fixate in the population.

It can be assumed that aging pulls out from under the noise, and faint signs of this accelerating evolution. But people have not used the evolution, and the selection today is quite different signs than he was when we lived in caves. To accelerate the evolution, there is no need so that aging can be reversed. However, just find and disable the desired genes is impossible. In humans aging is a very complex process, and involved genes have many important functions. But you can go the other way.

Our body produces energy in special formations inside the cell, the mitochondria. Roughly speaking, there are oxidized nutrients, and the process is accompanied by the movement of electrons through a specially organized chain of protein molecules. If a chain link breaks, the location of the crash oxygen, which in mitochondria a lot, easy to attach "orphan" electron. This forms a very aggressive substance is an active form of oxygen that attacks all around. Such substances are called free radicals and they play an important role in the accumulation of those minor damages.

You can design a connection-an antioxidant that will be embedded in the mitochondria and neutralize free radicals. Their damaging effects on the body decrease, and he will remain young longer.We synthesized the substance and conducted a large set of experiments on animals. We were able to extend their youth — for example, they reproduce until death. This antioxidant has become the main active substance in we created the drops to prevent senile eye diseases.

Skeptics often afraid that the abolition of aging would lead to overpopulation. But in the history of mankind is not the first time open something that gives people extra years. Antibiotics and hygiene have increased life expectancy by half, but overpopulation has not happened. Moreover, precisely in those countries where antibiotics are used extensively, there is depopulation. So longevity won't be a problem for humanity, but to change our society I can. Hope for the best!

 

Maxim Skulachev , PhD,

leading researcher of the biological faculty of Moscow state University,

the General Director of the company "Mitotech"

источник:vokrugsveta.ru
 

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