• Question: Why do we get old?

    Asked by haay.mel to Ross, Robert, Hussain on 15 Nov 2015. This question was also asked by chez.
    • Photo: Robert Lees

      Robert Lees answered on 15 Nov 2015:

      We get old for many, many reasons. Our cells age and become faulty, they can’t repair themselves or do what they’re supposed to, so they die (or worse, cause disease). The longer you live, the more likely your cells are to become faulty. Lifestyle decisions can increase aging and chance of disease.

      One theory of aging is related to ‘reactive oxygen species’ which come from the reaction of oxygen in your cells. The reactive oxygen species are molecules that can damage things inside your cells and make them faulty. This speeds up the aging process – it’s not clear whether or not this is the case and how much affect this has on aging. However, it has a lot of support in the science world.

Comments