Your body isn't as old as you think

[Evo]

A thread in philosophy made me think of something I had learned years ago about cell replication and aging and how as we age we tend to get more and more "mutations".

As Alan Alda said in a Scientific American Frontiers show, it's like copying copies in a copying machine. Each time you copy a copy, the quality gets worse. So, even though the cells are new, they are not the same as the originals, we call this "aging". This was also the show on nematodes and telomeres for those of you that saw it. Here is the transcript http://www.pbs.org/saf/transcripts/transcript1003.htm

Anyway, I digress, I was reading about bones back then and was surprised to learn that our bones are recreated on a seven year cycle (this article says 10, whatever).

I was thinking if I was surprised to learn at just how "young" our bones are, some others may also find this interesting. It seems that we are finding out more and more every day.

Here's an article to get you started.

Your Body Is Younger Than You Think

Whatever your age, your body is many years younger. In fact, even if you're middle aged, most of you may be just 10 years old or less.

This heartening truth, which arises from the fact that most of the body's tissues are under constant renewal, has been underlined by a novel method of estimating the age of human cells. Its inventor, Jonas Frisen, believes the average age of all the cells in an adult's body may turn out to be as young as 7 to 10 years.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/02/science/02cell.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

 

[RonL]

A thread in philosophy made me think of something I had learned years ago about cell replication and aging and how as we age we tend to get more and more "mutations".

As Alan Alda said in a Scientific American Frontiers show, it's like copying copies in a copying machine. Each time you copy a copy, the quality gets worse. So, even though the cells are new, they are not the same as the originals, we call this "aging". This was also the show on nematodes and telomeres for those of you that saw it. Here is the transcript http://www.pbs.org/saf/transcripts/transcript1003.htm

Anyway, I digress, I was reading about bones back then and was surprised to learn that our bones are recreated on a seven year cycle (this article says 10, whatever).

I was thinking if I was surprised to learn at just how "young" our bones are, some others may also find this interesting. It seems that we are finding out more and more every day.

Here's an article to get you started.



http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/02/science/02cell.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Thanks a bunch Evo, I feel better already

Ron

 

[Evo]

Thanks a bunch Evo, I feel better already

Ron

Yeah, nice to know that physically you're only 10-15 years old, eh?

 

[Borek]

To some extent that's a question about dilutions - how much of what's inside of me was there - say - 10 years ago? Cells may be new, but they are built from material transported by blood. Part of this material is new, but part is recycled.

Which makes me wonder, how much of the meal my Dad had in early sixties is still insde of me...

 

[Cincinnatus]

Yeah, nice to know that physically you're only 10-15 years old, eh?

Except for your neurons, most of these are as old as you are.

Maybe this statement was a tautology..

 

[Evo]

Except for your neurons, most of these are as old as you are.

Maybe this statement was a tautology..

It was an attempt at a joke, I guess it was a poor attempt. The piece I linked to talks about neurons.

 

[Cincinnatus]

and the response was meant to be ironic, I guess it was a poor attempt

 

[Evo]

and the response was meant to be ironic, I guess it was a poor attempt