{"id":143167,"date":"2025-04-03T11:37:48","date_gmt":"2025-04-03T15:37:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=143167"},"modified":"2025-04-04T11:56:21","modified_gmt":"2025-04-04T15:56:21","slug":"why-we-age","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/why-we-age\/","title":{"rendered":"How and Why We Age: The 2 Top Scientific Theories"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Why does human health decline as we age? Do all creatures age in the same way?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Biotech researcher and author of <em>Jellyfish Age Backwards, <\/em>Nicklas Brendborg, explains the top two theories on human aging: genetic wear-and-tear and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-planned-obsolescence\/\">planned obsolescence<\/a>. However, he notes that these aging patterns don&#8217;t hold true across all of nature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read below to learn more about human aging process theories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-how-and-why-of-human-aging\"><strong>The How and Why of Human Aging<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Brendborg begins his discussion on how and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/human-aging\/\">why we age<\/a> by explaining that, among humans, the damage from aging builds up exponentially: The odds of dying from age-related conditions start at practically zero, then double every eight years or so after puberty. This happens because the human body grows increasingly weak over time and eventually succumbs to something like heart failure, cancer, infection, or injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: Many people, like Brendborg, talk about aging as a natural process that makes you vulnerable to diseases and injuries\u2014the \u201cage-related conditions\u201d mentioned above. However, in <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/lifespan\/1-page-summary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Lifespan<\/em><\/a>, biologist David Sinclair says that <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/lifespan\/1-page-summary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">old age itself is the disease<\/a>, and conditions like arthritis, frailty, and dementia are just symptoms of it. Sinclair adds that old age has many similarities to cancer\u2014the most important similarity being that both diseases used to be untreatable, but modern medicine is constantly getting better at treating them.)&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, Brendborg notes that the aging pattern he describes doesn\u2019t hold across all of nature. <strong>Some creatures, like the aptly named immortal jellyfish, can reverse their aging<\/strong>\u2014hence the book\u2019s title, <em>Jellyfish Age Backwards<\/em>. Naturally, this raises the question of why humans age the way we do, rather than being able to rejuvenate ourselves like this jellyfish can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: The immortal jellyfish regenerates itself through a process called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnh.org\/explore\/news-blogs\/immortal-jellyfish#:~:text=The%20cellular%20mechanism%20behind%20it%E2%80%94a%20rare%20process%20known%20as%20transdifferentiation%E2%80%94is%20of%20particular%20interest%20to%20scientists%20for%20its%20potential%20applications%20in%20medicine.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">transdifferentiation<\/a>, wherein a fully developed cell becomes a different kind of cell. The jellyfish uses this process to revert to its adolescent form (a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nioz.nl\/en\/expertise\/wadden-delta-research-centre\/news-media\/wadden-sea-species\/jellyfish-series\/jellyfish-polyps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">polyp<\/a>), from which it regrows into a healthy adult. This would be like if you could turn back into a teenager at will, regaining all the strength and energy you had back then.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brendborg says that understanding how and why aging happens is crucial for developing effective treatments for it. In this section we\u2019ll present two theories: aging as accumulated DNA damage, and aging as a genetically programmed process.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-theory-1-aging-as-genetic-wear-and-tear\"><strong>Theory #1: Aging as Genetic Wear-and-Tear<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The first theory Brendborg discusses is that aging may be the result of genetic damage accumulating over time. During cell division (mitosis), DNA must be precisely replicated to ensure that the new cell has all of the correct genes. However, mitosis is complex, and errors frequently occur during the process. These errors are known as <em>mutations<\/em>, and they can cause cells to work less effectively or stop working altogether.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While many mutations are caught and corrected during mitosis, and others trigger defense mechanisms that destroy the mutated cell, some are bound to escape the body\u2019s protective measures. So, according to this theory, as cells continue to divide throughout a person\u2019s lifetime, <strong>mutations accumulate in their DNA and cause the symptoms of aging: frailty, fatigue, a weakened immune system, and so on.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>The Three Types of Mutation<\/strong><br><br>In simple terms, a mutation is a change to the instructions encoded in your DNA. In the vast majority of cases, these changes have either no effect or a detrimental effect\u2014hence the theory that mutations building up in your DNA over time eventually causes your body to weaken and break down.<br><br>There are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.khanacademy.org\/test-prep\/mcat\/biomolecules\/genetic-mutations\/a\/types-of-mutations-and-their-notations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">three kinds of mutations<\/a>:<br><br>1. A <strong>silent mutation <\/strong>has no effect; despite the change to the instructions in your DNA, your body still functions the way it usually would. It\u2019s like replacing one word in a sentence with another word that means the same thing. For example, \u201dI\u2019m <em>driving<\/em> to the store\u201d becomes \u201cI\u2019m <em>going <\/em>to the store.\u201d&nbsp;<br><br>2. A <strong>missense mutation <\/strong>swaps out one instruction in your DNA for another, which tends to make affected cells less effective at their tasks. For example, in sickle cell anemia, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/answers\/missense-mutation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">missense mutation<\/a> causes red blood cells to become deformed and rigid, making it more difficult for those cells to carry oxygen throughout the body. Again, imagine replacing one word in a sentence, but this time you replace it with something that changes the meaning\u2014\u201cI\u2019m <em>driving <\/em>to the store\u201d becomes \u201cI\u2019m <em>dancing <\/em>to the store.\u201d<br><br>3. A <strong>nonsense mutation <\/strong>happens when the DNA\u2019s instructions get cut off early, causing the cell to lose some kind of function. For example, in cystic fibrosis, a missing or nonfunctional protein in the cell membrane prevents moisture from passing through and entering the lungs. As a result, mucus that would normally get cleared out of the lungs becomes too thick and sticky to expel. A nonsense mutation is like replacing a word in a sentence with a period, so \u201cI\u2019m <em>driving <\/em>to the store\u201d just becomes \u201cI\u2019m.\u201d<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-theory-2-aging-as-planned-obsolescence\"><strong>Theory #2: Aging as \u201cPlanned Obsolescence\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Brendborg says it\u2019s possible that aging <em>isn\u2019t <\/em>the result of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-random-mutation\/\">random mutations<\/a>. He discusses a second theory, which holds that we\u2019re genetically hardwired to age and die.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-dna-methylation-causes-the-body-to-break-down\">DNA Methylation Causes the Body to Break Down<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The theory that aging is programmed into our genes emerged from the discovery of <em>methylation<\/em>: the process of molecules called methyl groups accumulating in DNA over time. These methyl groups attach to the <em>epigenome<\/em>\u2014the parts of the DNA next to genes\u2014and interfere with those genes\u2019 functions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Notably, researchers have found that methylation follows predictable patterns across different tissue types and even among some different species. It\u2019s much too consistent to be the result of random DNA damage, which is why Brendborg says humans may be genetically programmed to age: <strong>The consistency of the pattern suggests that DNA methylation<\/strong> <strong>is a natural part of our life cycle, just like growing from an infant to an adult.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This discovery led to the creation of a test called the <em>epigenetic clock<\/em>, which can estimate the age of an organism by measuring the degree of methylation in its DNA. Furthermore, studies have shown that people whose epigenetic age is higher than their chronological age\u2014in other words, people whose DNA is more methylated than normal for their age\u2014face increased risks of early death and age-related diseases. The reverse is also true: People with lower levels of methylation than normal tend to live longer, healthier lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-telomeres-limit-the-body-s-ability-to-heal\">Telomeres Limit the Body\u2019s Ability to Heal<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>While Brendborg mostly focuses on DNA methylation, he also presents another piece of evidence that old age might be programmed into human genetics: <strong>Parts of DNA known as <\/strong><strong><em>telomeres <\/em><\/strong><strong>place inherent limits on the body\u2019s ability to regenerate itself.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-are-telomeres-and-why-are-they-important\/\">Telomeres are<\/a> specialized structures at the ends of each chromosome (strand of DNA). They\u2019re long strings of repetitive, meaningless DNA sequences that work like the plastic tips on shoelaces, holding the DNA together so it doesn\u2019t unravel. They also act as a buffer, protecting the useful DNA in the genes from damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Telomeres become slightly shorter each time a cell divides and eventually reach a critical length where the cell cannot safely divide again. Brendborg explains that <strong>a cell that can\u2019t divide anymore enters a state called <\/strong><strong><em>senescence<\/em><\/strong>, where it stops performing most of its intended functions, but doesn\u2019t get destroyed by the body\u2019s defense mechanisms like usual. Furthermore, senescent cells (informally called \u201czombie cells\u201d) start releasing chemicals that damage the tissues around them, thereby causing the aches and pains associated with old age.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Why does human health decline as we age? Do all creatures age in the same way? Biotech researcher and author of Jellyfish Age Backwards, Nicklas Brendborg, explains the top two theories on human aging: genetic wear-and-tear and planned obsolescence. However, he notes that these aging patterns don&#8217;t hold true across all of nature. Read below to learn more about human aging process theories.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":143197,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[160],"tags":[1767],"class_list":["post-143167","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science","tag-jellyfish-age-backwards","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How and Why We Age: The 2 Top Scientific Theories - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In his book Jellyfish Age Backwards, biotech researcher Nicklas Brendborg explains the top theories on human aging. 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