Does anyone knows about the aging gene?

"Red Dragon" <[email hidden]> wrote in message.

Quoted message said:

Is there such thing as a gene responsible for the aging process? Is it true that such a gene can
be modified or manipulated to extend a life span? Is there a possibility that in the distant
future, immortality in

man

Quoted message said:

can be achieved?

There are two major reasons why organisms age.

The first is that most organisms can't expect to survive for many mating seasons. A gene that gives
you 10 eggs in the first year at the cost of none in the second year is to be preferred to on that
gives you five eggs now and 10 in the second year.

Another reason is that cancer is a persistent threat. Somehow cells have to be prevented from
multiplying in an uncontrolled fashion. One mechanism for this is to limit the total number of
divisions a non-germ cell is allowed, so tumors don't get indefinitely big. A sdie effect is that
this puts an age limit on the organism.

The problems in extending the lifespan of humans via genetic engineering are formidable, but seem to
be purely technical. There's no reason that humans couldn't live for thousands of years. It wouldn't
of course be immortality - there would still be accidents and other causes of death.

<< There are two major reasons why organisms age.

The first is that most organisms can't expect to survive for many mating seasons. A gene that gives
you 10 eggs in the first year at the cost of none in the second year is to be preferred to on that
gives you five eggs now and 10 in the second year.

Another reason is that cancer is a persistent threat. Somehow cells have to be prevented from
multiplying in an uncontrolled fashion. One mechanism for this is to limit the total number of
divisions a non-germ cell is allowed, so tumors don't get indefinitely big. A sdie effect is that
this puts an age limit on the organism.

TH It may be a case where the growing stops or it slows down to a level below what's being destroyed
at the same time. So that what is being built up is less than what is being broken down.