Biological Aspects of Aging

Biological Aspects of Aging

Background

Aging is a progressive phenomenon, characterized by a steady and inevitable decline in efficiency by significant physiological and biological changes over time that affects all organs and systems. The events are genetically determined progressive and characteristic for a species but may also vary from individual to individual, they are also influenced by a number of endogenous and exogenous factors. The medicine over the years has developed specific disciplines in order to interpret, prevent and possibly cure these processes. The gerontology studies the processes of aging. Geriatrics addresses the issue of prevention, medical care and drug increased morbidity due to senescence. The purpose of geriatric disciplines is to assist the elderly, to intervene so as to delay some of the biological and psychological aspects of aging, but also plan educational activities that allow the elderly to live field in an active way to restore your age and specific functional capabilities. Some physiological functions, for example, visual and auditory skills, they lose efficiency with age (Tinoco, et. al., 2013). The morphological and functional events from 30-35 years and can be quantified as a diminished physiological efficiency for each year of age by about 1%. However, it has been witnessed that a reduction in the number of cells occurs, a reduction in the water content of the cytoplasm due to the alteration of membrane permeability.

The cells also lose the ability to control some internal physiological characteristics, e.g. homeostasis: constant maintenance of the temperature and composition through internal control systems mediated by several factors. As a consequence, the body loses the ability of thermoregulation, and maintenance of internal fluids. The older person therefore has a limited ability to adapt to changes in temperature as the skin cells have a reduced share vasodilated and vasoconstrictive, as well as a reduced ability to sweat. Muscle mass decreases by about a third at the expense of adipose tissue. The modifications of the mechanisms regulating blood pressure are caused by a decrease in elasticity of the blood vessels and the heart mass, it follows a difficulty of adjusting the pressure. The dysfunction also affects the kidney and work on the production of certain hormones. In the elderly, the decrease of the hormone renin (produced by cells arranged in the vicinity of the part of the kidney glomeruli) causes retention of water and mineral salts. The decrease of the hormone aldosterone (produced by cortical gland adrenal) determines an increased re-absorption of sodium and an increase in excretion of potassium with repercussion on blood pressure that tends to increase (Conboy, et. al., 2013).

Introduction

The aging can be considered a multi-factorial process, a product of the interaction between genetic, environmental and lifestyle. In humans, advanced age is characterized by the onset of certain diseases which, although not in itself an expression of aging, however, are closely associated with old age, because the physiological decline due to the progression of age is a central factor in determining the increased risk that the elder of developing these diseases. The energy generated by this configuration is unstable and is transferred to the adjacent molecules which ...