Anti Aging Thoery - Effects Of DNA Damage On Aging And Cancer
By leily on Apr 30, 2008 in Skin care
Damage in the cellular level is the main cause of aging. Humans do tend to repair the damage caused to body cells. Cellular damage is caused predominantly by free radical attack among many other causes. At the end of each cell's chromosomes are spirals of DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid). The main role of DNA molecules is the long-term storage of information. DNA stores genetic information that is unique to each person.
Every time cellular damage takes place the DNA too gets damaged. Human body is capable of repairing DNA damage and passing on the DNA information to new cells that are formed. Defects in DNA repair process makes people more susceptible to cancer and other degenerative ailments. DNA repair process declines with age while damage accumulates. This could explain why cancer is so much more common among older people. Even within a single organism, repair rates can vary among cells, with the most efficient repair going on in sperm and egg cells.
Each DNA contains as much as 30,000 genes which control complex functioning of body and mind. Most of these genes are responsible for passing on hereditary traits to offspring. There are an important group of some 4,000 which control any particular cell's function. When large number of these genes becomes damaged we begin to experience multitude of subtle health effects. This could be something as subtle as dry skin (if the genes that control skin oil output are not functioning properly), to catching colds easier and having them for a longer duration etc. When the damage to genes become really chronic the consequences could be uncontrolled growth of cells, otherwise known as cancer.
By Andy Kahn
Every time cellular damage takes place the DNA too gets damaged. Human body is capable of repairing DNA damage and passing on the DNA information to new cells that are formed. Defects in DNA repair process makes people more susceptible to cancer and other degenerative ailments. DNA repair process declines with age while damage accumulates. This could explain why cancer is so much more common among older people. Even within a single organism, repair rates can vary among cells, with the most efficient repair going on in sperm and egg cells.
Each DNA contains as much as 30,000 genes which control complex functioning of body and mind. Most of these genes are responsible for passing on hereditary traits to offspring. There are an important group of some 4,000 which control any particular cell's function. When large number of these genes becomes damaged we begin to experience multitude of subtle health effects. This could be something as subtle as dry skin (if the genes that control skin oil output are not functioning properly), to catching colds easier and having them for a longer duration etc. When the damage to genes become really chronic the consequences could be uncontrolled growth of cells, otherwise known as cancer.
By Andy Kahn