Do donated organs age based on the donor’s age or do they adjust to the age of the new body?
In: Biology
A donor’s organ will always be the organ of the donor, it doesn’t “adjust” to the new body. A donor’s organ will always have the DNA of the donor, which is why an organ recipient has to take immunosuppressive drugs. A 60 year old’s kidney in a 30 year old’s body is still a 60 year old kidney.
But, organs don’t age in a straight line. A 30 year
old smoker who doesn’t drink might have the lungs of an average 50 year old with the liver of an average 20 year old. So the aging of an organ isn’t due purely to the age of a person, if that makes sense.
Donated organs have the same age as the donor, but they should function overall better in a younger body.
If you’re a teen in need of a kidney from a 30 year old, you’ll have it be 30, while the rest of you is 16, 17, or any age in the teens. (Considering this example)
You’ll still be healthier than a 30 year old, which is the thing to consider.
Also, since it’s not your DNA, your body won’t repair it as well, meaning it can’t repair it back to your age.
It’s just another part of you, with a different age, it stays the same, and you stay the same.
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