A Means to an End: The Biological Basis of Aging and Death

Book Description

Why do we age? Is aging inevitable? Will advances in medical knowledge allow us to extend the human lifespan beyond its present limits? Because growing old has long been the one irreducible reality of human existence, these intriguing questions arise more often in the context of science fiction than science fact. But recent discoveries in the fields of cell biology and molecular genetics are seriously challenging the assumption that human lifespans are beyond our control. With such discoveries in mind, noted cell biologist William R. Clark clearly and skillfully describes how senescence begins at the level of individual cells and how cellular replication may be bound up with aging of the entire organism. He explores the evolutionary origin and function of aging, the cellular connections between aging and cancer, the parallels between cellular senescence and Alzheimer's disease, and the insights gained through studying human genetic disorders -- such as Werner's syndrome -- that mimic the symptoms of aging. Clark also explains how reduction in caloric intake may actually help increase lifespan, and how the destructive effects of oxidative elements in the body may be limited by the consumption of antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables. In a final chapter, Clark considers the social and economic aspects of living longer, the implications of gene therapy on senescence, and what we might learn about aging from experiments in cloning. This is a highly readable, provocative account of some of the most far-reaching and controversial questions we are likely to ask in the next century.

Customer Reviews:

An easy book to read.......2003-08-20

Easy to read book. After lengthy introduction author concentrates on the research about genes that suppress the cell senescence and control. Discussion about cancer cells where cell division is not checked.
Final chapters discusses the effects of oxidants, obesity, low calorie diet or similar things where eventually a claim comes that beside the gene control everything else does not amount more than %15 in total effect.
So unless we control the genes we will soon or later die.

A good review with some problems.......2002-02-04

Dr. Clark provides a good review of the field but fails, in my opinion, to provide a clear explanation for "The biological basis of aging and death". The theories of the evolutionary biology of aging clearly argue that "aging" cannot be "genetically programmed" or that "We are programmed to grow old and die" as other reviewers have concluded from reading this work. That points out the weakness in this book -- a failure to clearly differentiate between senescence, aging and death. There are two primary theories for why we age -- "the declining force of natural selection" (i.e. it is difficult to optimize a genetic program to produce non-aging organisms) and "antagonistic plieotropy" (i.e. the genetic program is optimized for reproduction at the expense of non-aging longevity). Dr. Clark seems to suggest that the genetic program for senescence is what causes aging and death. In fact the genetic program for senescence is largely an anti-cancer program. It may as a side effect contribute to aging and eventually death but its primary purpose is to prevent cancer. There is a very big difference between saying that aging and death result from an "incomplete" program and saying that aging and death result from a pre-programmed senescence program. One of my primary criticisms is Dr. Clark's pseudo-deathist philosophy. The tone of the book seems to suggest that aging is pre-programmed and cannot be changed. He says, on pg 218, "Will we want to go this far in our search for the fountain of youth? It is unlikely even to be proposed in the lifetime of anyone reading this book, but it is not at all beyond the realm of possibility." (He is speaking of the application of gene therapies to lifespan extension.) I have been proposing such methods for lifespan extension for most of the past decade and have conducted research and founded companies to forward these goals. The human genome is a program. It has bugs in it that result in aging. We can comprehend those bugs and apply patches to fix them allowing the extension of human longevity to the accident-rate limits which will be thousands of years. Individuals who really want to understand aging should read books by people who have studied the field for many years. The best authors, in my opinion, would be Steve Austad, Tom Kirkwood and Caleb Finch. While many of their works may be older than this book, they have a greater depth of understanding of the subtleties of the study of aging that this book fails to discuss.

Yes, death is genetically programmed !.......2000-08-13

This book embraces a rational and well explained journey in the field of aging. Here I read for the first time strong statements about the programmed nature death, that is present since fertilization. We learn the basic experiments that support Haldane theory about sex and aging and we appreaciate the beatiful connection between replicative senescence and species-specifc mortality. The book is clear and well readible and I strongly recommend it to science and non-science crowd.

A clear explanation of what is currently known about aging.......2000-06-12

Professor Clark has written a book that is detailed and accurate, and at the same time accessible to people untrained in molecular biology. If you are interested in increasing both the quality and the length of your life, read this book.

The case for programmed senescence.......2000-05-14

Professor Clark writes with elegance and employs a reasoned tone, but he is not always direct, and often expresses ideas in the understandably tentative way of a very exacting scientist. Consequently it is not easy to see that nowhere in this book does he directly say what causes aging and death. Nor does he simply say we don't know. What he does say is there are some persuasive theories, especially the evolutionary model began by Haldane and Medawar and refined by George Williams (pp. 49-50), that are consistent with the data that "may be essentially correct, at least in broad outline." (p. 52). Clark makes it clear that we have senescence effector genes in our cells but he doesn't say how they got there, only that they were "already in place in the earliest eukaryotic organisms such as paramecia and yeast." (p. 57) The reader is left to believe that there is a mechanism that retains them, but what that mechanism might be is unclear.

I am led to believe that senescence is built into our cells and is part of our genetic makeup. We are programmed to grow old and die. Just how is what Professor Clark is exploring here. He concentrates on the cellular level because it is his belief that this is where the mechanisms for senescence can be found. On page 190 he argues that senescence is genetically controlled and not the result of a random breakdown, citing the fact that "maximum lifespan is species-specific." In short, humans live a lot longer than dogs, contrary to what might be expected if senescence were caused by cells getting old and wearing out. He points out on page 48 that "mice and humans, although composed of proteins that are extremely similar at a chemical level, have both average and maximal lifespans differing by a factor of 30 or more."

Clark also covers in some detail such issues as the evolution of senescence, average and maximum lifespan; genetic diseases such as Werner's syndrome, the Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome and others; oxidative stress as a cause of cellular senescence and the use of Vitamin E and other antioxidants; the aging brain and Alzheimer's disease; cancer and the social and economic effect of humans living longer. A chapter is devoted to the phenomenon of increased lifespan through restricted caloric intake.

Book Description

Cellular AGING AND CELL DEATH

Edited by Nikki J. Holbrook, George R. Martin, and Richard A. Lockshin

Cellular Aging and Cell Death provides a thorough understanding of the mechanisms responsible for cellular aging, covering the recent research on programmed cell death and senescence, and describing their role in the control of cell proliferation and the aging process. This one-of-a-kind book is the first to combine the two hottest research areas of cell biology into one comprehensive text.

Leading experts contribute to give readers an authoritative overview of the distinct fields of cellular aging and programmed cell death, as well as to demonstrate how both fields are critical to understanding the aging process. They address the large and growing interest in apoptosis, especially with regard to the molecular signals that induce and regulate programmed cell death, and the role of apoptosis in a variety of age-associated diseases and disabilities. Throughout the book, a strong emphasis is placed on the interrelationship of the molecular, cellular, and physiological aspects of senescence.

Individual chapters discuss such topics as the role and regulation of apoptosis in development, the potential impact of cell death on such postmitotic tissues as nerve and muscle, and suggest that programmed cell death plays an important role in both pathological and nonpathological aspects of aging, including neurodegenerative diseases.

One important chapter focuses on the most recent research involving the study of telomeres, whose reduction in length with age and cell division may underlie cellular senescence. The subject of neuronal cell death is also put into the perspective of aging.

Cellular Aging and Cell Death bridges the rapidly growing fields of cellular aging and programmed cell death. This thorough, yet concise book will be of particular interest to graduate students and researchers within the fields of cell and developmental biology, neurobiology, immunology, and physiology. Physicians and medical students involved in the fields of gerontology and pathology will also find this an informative reference.

Customer Reviews:

Human body is made of cells, its aging is important........1999-04-12

Cell of the body must have the proper environment. Developmental changes (age changes) can be explained better at the cellular level. Errant condition and failure to correct lead to cell injury. The greater the number of cells injured the more likely system malfunction would occur.

Human body is made of cells, its aging is important........1999-04-12

The Living End: The New Sciences of Death, Ageing and Immortality

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The Living End: The New Sciences of Death, Ageing and Immortality
Guy Brown
Manufacturer: Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

The decline of infections, starvation, heart attack, and stroke has allowed people to reach extreme old age--and ushered in disability, dementia, and degenerative disease, with profound consequences for the self and society. In chapters echoing Dante's nine circles of hell, Dr. Guy Brown explores these vital issues at various levels, from the cell, to the whole body, to society and how all this new medical technology affects the meaning of death. He tracks the seismic shifts in the causes and character of death that are rocking medicine and reveals how technological innovations, such as cloning and electronic interfaces, hint at new modes of "survival" after death.

Programmed Cell Death, Volume I (Advances in Cell Aging and Gerontology)

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Programmed Cell Death, Volume I (Advances in Cell Aging and Gerontology)

Manufacturer: Elsevier Science
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0444504931

Book Description

Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is an adaptive form of cell death that plays a critical role in turnover of mitotic cells and various tissues in the adult, including epithelial cells, fibroblasts and various endocrine cells. Programmed cell death also plays a major role in development in organizing the body plan and molding intricate cellular structures such as nerve cell circuits in the brain. Rapidly progressing research into the molecular and biochemical underpinnings of the programmed cell death process are revealing novel genetic programs and molecular interactions that coordinate a process that results in death and removal of cells without an immune response and in the absence of the adverse effects on neighboring cells.

Programmed Cell Death, Volume I, critically details the molecular, biochemical and cellular mechanisms of apoptosis. This volume covers programmed cell death in a variety of tissues and organ systems highlighting the interesting families of proteins involved in promoting or preventing apoptosis. These include the caspase and calpain families of proteases, Bcl-2 family members, and inhibitors of apoptosis proteins. Each chapter is written by an internationally recognized expert in a particular aspect of programmed cell death.

Book Description

This volume provides the most recent insight into how abnormalities in the regulation of cell death lead to a variety of diseases. Each chapter in this book is written by an internationally recognized expert on the role of aberrant cell death in the pathogenesis of a particular disease. In addition to various types of cancer and neurodegenerative disorders, this book covers diseases ranging from arthritis to cardiovascular disease to diabetes. The chapters each integrate information obtained from patients with data obtained in experimental models of the disease to arrive at an emerging view of the pathogenic mechanisms of the disease. Applications of this fundamental knowledge to prevention and treatment of the diseases are considered. When taken together with http://www.elsevier.nl/locate/isbn/0444504931 Programmed Cell Death, Volume 1, this title will provide graduate students, postdocs and senior investigators in an array of biomedical disciplines invaluable resource for their pursuit of the causes and cures of many different human diseases.

CELLULAR AGING: CELL DEATH: An entry from Macmillan Reference USA's
<i>Encyclopedia of Aging</i>

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CELLULAR AGING: CELL DEATH: An entry from Macmillan Reference USA's Encyclopedia of Aging
RICHARD A. LOCKSHIN , and ZAHRA ZAKERI
Manufacturer: Macmillan Reference USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000M4QIMI

Book Description

As the Baby Boomers head toward retirement, the four-volume â€œEncyclopedia of Agingâ€ offers a timely resource encompassing all aspects of aging. Covering a variety of disciplinesâ€”biology, medicine, economics, law, psychology, sociology and historyâ€”the Encyclopedia also explores related issues such as religion, spirituality, and ethics.

CELLULAR AGING: TELOMERES: An entry from Macmillan Reference USA's
<i>Encyclopedia of Aging</i>

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CELLULAR AGING: TELOMERES: An entry from Macmillan Reference USA's Encyclopedia of Aging
DOMINIQUE BROCCOLI
Manufacturer: Macmillan Reference USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000M4QIN2

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Cellular Aging and Cell Death
Nikki, Martin, George, and Lockshin, Richard, eds. Holbrook
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000WBO9UY

Product Description

Olympic medalist Debbie McDonald and her fabulous partner, Brentina, have thrilled crowds the world over with their stunning performances. In her new book, Riding Through, Debbie describes her system for success in dressage and relates her life story: "There is more than one reason that I call this book Riding Through. Of course, first and foremost, riding through is a dressage term, something you strive for as you attempt to get your horse on the aids and moving back-to-front. You have achieved it when everything the two of you do together is one fluid motion, the ultimate of coordination and expression, in which the horse is maximizing his assets. It's all about harmony and correctness, summing up the meaning of dressage in a single short phrase. But "riding through" has other meanings for me as well. I've learned to ride through hard times, on and off a horse, when I thought about giving up. We all have to learn about riding through, because that's the only way we will arrive at our destination, whatever it may be." Even if passage and piaffe aren't your ambition, or you don't want to compete in dressage at any level, the good basic riding skills involved in learning this discipline will help you in whatever you want to do with horses--whether it's improving adjustability for jumping or just having a more pleasurable trail ride. And the challenges will keep you interested while you explore the very special connection that develops between human and horse when you're doing meaningful work together.

Customer Reviews:

I Wanted More.......2007-08-22

Debbie's new book is definitely worth buying if you like dressage. But like it's title, I wanted more connection! The book is more a generalists approach to the sport of dressage. Describing her horse career and switch to dressage, Debbie's story should become a movie!

Later chapters do give dressage pointers. But if you are looking for something new to unlock the secrets of dressage, you won't find very much here. There are some specific exercises and maybe something you haven't tried with your horse; but all in all, this volume is a elementary look at the Olympic rider's career.

The photographs, diagrams and graphic design are EXCELLENT, colorful and a good window into the quest for dressage perfection. However, if you are looking for the exact details on how to teach your horse to piaffe, for example, you will not find it here. So, Debbie, I would have found another title. As such, I give it 6 (out of 10), "horse needs to be more supple and THROUGH. (How many times have we read that under the judges remarks!)"

Must Read for Dressage.......2007-08-10

Debbie is so down to earth and this makes this book an easy read. I love the "check" boxes which explain the hows and whys of riding, training and understanding dressage. After reading the book, it is easy to apply what you have learned to your everyday riding and training.

Average customer rating:

Remain teachable!
Really hit me where I live
A good read and helpful advice
great book!
Horsemanship Through Life

Horsemanship Through Life
Mark Rashid
Manufacturer: Spring Creek Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1555663648

Customer Reviews:

Remain teachable!.......2007-06-28

Mark walks us through the steps he took to improve the quality/integrity of his work. This exploration in theory and through practical examples reveals how horses learn; values that guide Mark's problem solving; why the "passive leadership" approach can have such a profound impact on horse & rider; the need to study horse behavior/communication rather than only training techniques if we are to be flexibly creative in work with horses. It's also a lesson for humans in remaining teachable!

Really hit me where I live.......2007-05-22

I always enjoy Rashid's work, but this was one I could really relate to, since I have gone through a similar experience. What a shocker to realize I, too, had lost my "center" and didn't even realize that's what was wrong with my riding until I read the book and recognized the course of events straight from my own experience. Also gave me wonderful visualization ideas for regaining my "center." Can't wait to give them a try.

A good read and helpful advice.......2007-05-06

I enjoyed (and devoured) this book as much I have enjoyed all of Mark Rashid's books. Being particularly interested in the relationship of handling/riding horses and blending the practice of Aikido, this book was helpful to me in the arena and under saddle as much as studying the Nia Technique has been for me as an equestrian. Mark has an amazing ability to 'speak the language' of the everyday horseman or woman and bridge for us his deep compassion and wisdom about horses - and his words as I read them seem to seep into my horsemanship skills - transformative. He's truly an educator, philosopher and an entertaining writer. His books are good the 2nd and 3rd time too!

great book!.......2007-03-08

Mark Rashid has once again written a wonderful book. Easy to read and full of interesting tips and guidance not only for horsemanship but that apply to all aspects of life. this book really defines his style and philosophy.

Horsemanship Through Life.......2006-11-10

This book is excellent, as are all of Rashid's books. They are fast, interesting reading and very helpful with horse-training problems. I would recommend all of the books to anyone who loves and works with horses.l

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