There is no single cause or mechanism found for ageing, only
some good candidates.
It has been suggested and most scientists agree, that free
radicals or oxygen radicals injure cells and promote ageing.
Free radicals are one of the by-products of our breathing.
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Scientists don't know to what extent the free radicals
are responsible for our death, and what contributions
they may have to our life.
A second suspected chemical reaction behind our ageing
process is the 'browning reaction'. It is the same transformation
that happens when we toast a slice of bread. In cellular
life the 'browning reaction' happens between glucose
and proteins. It causes changes and damage to protein
function and to the expression of genes.
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A third suspect for ageing is that our cells lose their ability
to divide. This, amongst other things, makes our immune system
weaker. The ageing process might be pre-programmed in our
genome, but exactly how is still not known.
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