The Ageing Process Flashcards

1
Q

what is the definition of ageing?

A

progressive, generalised impairment of function resulting in loss of adaptive response to disease

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2
Q

what causes ageing?

A

random molecular damage during cell replication

reduction in body’s adaptive reserve capacity (resilience)

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3
Q

what increases cell damage during replication?

A

inactivity
poor diet
inflammation

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4
Q

what leads to cells senescence (cells cease to divide)?

A

telomeres shorten with each cell replication until they become too short to sustain replication

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5
Q

what is the name given to the theory which is suggested as a limit to ageing?

A

the hayflick limit

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6
Q

what is the downfall of the hayflick limit?

A

most human cells do not divide enough for this to be a limiting factor

nevertheless, telomeres is still a marker of age

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7
Q

what is the ribonucleoprotein complex that can re-extend shorten telomeres?

A

telomerase

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8
Q

in what kind of cells is telomerase more active?

A

cells such as immune cells and stem cells which need to divide more times

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9
Q

what type of macromolecule damage also contributes to ageing?

A
DNA mutation 
breaks 
lipid peroxidation 
protein misfolding 
aggregating 
crosslinking
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10
Q

what causes damage to macromolecules?

A

ionising radiation
reactive oxygen species (diet, radiation, inflammation)
extrinsic toxins (bisphenols)

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11
Q

damage to cells causes what 4 main cellular responses?

A

repair
apoptosis
senescence
malignant transformation

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12
Q

what is the disposable soma hypothesis?

A

once reproduction has occurred, there is little evolutionary value in repairing and maintaining body as genes have been passed on so damage not repaired at same rate it accumulates

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13
Q

what is the alternative theory of antagonistic pleiotrophy?

A

genes have benefit early but have deleterious effects late in life. These genes inherited as benefit early but act as “timebomb” in later life, contributing to cell senescence and death of organism

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14
Q

what is frailty?

A

loss of homeostasis and resilience

increases risk of falls, delirium, disability and death

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15
Q

what are the two most common models for operationalising frailty?

A

deficit accumulation (rockwood)

phenotype (fried score)

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16
Q

what are the medical characteristics of old age?

A
multimorbidity 
multiple medications 
illness can present in atypical ways 
falls, immobility, delirium 
need for rehabilitation