'And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.' -Abraham
Lincoln How long can we live? Why do we age? andHow can we prevent the deleterious effects of aging?Since the time of the ancient Greeks, scientists andphilosophers have been attempting to find answers tothese questions by developing theories about aging.The term "aging" is somewhat ambiguous. Chronological aging, referring to how old a person is the most straightforward definition of aging and may be distinguished from "social aging" and "biological aging".In biology,
senescence is the state or process of aging.
Cellular senescence is a phenomenon where isolated cells demonstrate a limited ability to divide in culture, while
Organismal senescence is the aging of organisms.Some researchers are treating aging as a disease, as genes that have an effect on aging are discovered, aging is increasingly being regarded in a similar fashion to other genetic conditions, potentially "treatable."Although the “fountain of youth” formula has not yet been found, much progress is being made in identifying methods of delaying the onset of disabilities and chronic illnesses.Biologic theories of aging address questions about the basic aging
processes that affect all living organisms.These theories answer questions such as
How do cellsage? and
What triggers the process of aging? In addition,biologic aging theories attempt to identify those physiologic processes that occur independently of external or pathologic influences. Genetic Theories,Wear-and-Tear Theories,Immunity Theories,Cross-Linkage Theory,Lipofuscin and Free Radical Theories,Neuroendocrine Theories,Apoptosis Theory,Longevity and Senescence Theories,Active Life Expectancy and FunctionalHealth Theories,Medical Theories,Sociologic theories of aeging,psychologic theories of aeging .,etc have been formulated.