So just curious. Why does our bodies and organs and muscles start deteriorating at a certain point in our lives? And how come some mammals can live to be 300 years old meanwhile others are lucky to live a couple years?
In: Biology
Our bodies age because our cells wear out over time. This happens due to telomeres, which are protective caps on our chromosomes that shorten each time a cell divides. When they get too short, cells stop working properly. Damage from things like sunlight and pollution plays a role too.
Some animals live longer because they have better genes for repairing damage and slower metabolisms that leads to less oxidative stress, allowing them to age more slowly and live longer.
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