Title. Why do our bodies stop growing at one point and begin to decline in function? If the purpose of life is to live and reproduce, wouldn’t it make more sense to continually evolve and live forever? Also don’t our cells constantly regenerate? So if they do then why do they start to die out?
In: Biology
The reason why mammals die of old age is that the genomes in your cells shortens almost every time it decides. Cells don’t regenerate, they divide.
The majority of a mammalian genomes is made up of junk DNA that exists at the end of the chromosomes that protects the chromosome, called telomeres. When a cell divides, there’s risk of damage to the chromosomes, but most of the damage occurs at the telomeres, leaving the useful part of the chromosomes intact. Over time, the telomeres shortens, so the useful part of the chromosomes starts to get damaged, which leads to abnormal cells and functions.
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