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| Photo of a telomere (signified by orange caps) by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. |
Time catches up to many, to the point that others make countless attempts to maintain a healthy body and appearance. Most point and refer to skincare routines, but some believe that telomeres can be the cause of youth. While telomeres are involved in the processes of aging, these orange caps, symbolized by the image above, are specifically involved in premature aging. On the surface, premature aging sounds like it affects the human appearance. Aviv Clinics explicitly counters that, saying that "it is entirely within reason for a 70 year old .. biologically speaking, to be much younger.¹"
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| Photo of a telomere progressively showing senescence as age comes later on, provided by AgeReverse. |
The phenomenon behind premature aging in telomeres is a mechanism that scientists discovered to be in telomerase, an enzyme that regulates telomeric development.² Scientists at Hangzhou, China conducted a report regarding the processes associated with telomerase and it's relationship with premature aging at a biological level. "Shelterin regulates telomerase activity at telomeres .. disruptions in the shelterin complex can lead to premature aging.³" Furthermore, premature aging tends to happen because of "senescence," or the telomeres progressively shortening as time passes on. "Senescent cells no longer divide," reporters at Medical News Today exclaims, "and several other factors are associated with telomeric shortening, like a lack of physical activity.⁴"
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| Photo of a telomere being acted on by Telomerase, which catalyzes and reinforces extension of the telomere. Provided by MDPI. |
In spite of the other factors leading up to telomeric shortening, and thus, premature aging, there are also other locations that this phenomenon occurs as well. "..The relationship with mortality and telomere length in leukocytes," Frontiers reporters and scientists point out, "is further linked to cardiovascular diseases and Alzheimer's disease.⁵" Moreover, similar diseases and disorders are capable of sprouting from this telomeric phenomenon. "Short Telomere Syndrome illuminates why telomere length is crucial," Aviv Clinic studies, "It's a rare group of disorders where there is accelerated aging and premature organ failure.¹" On top of that, telomeres and premature aging can put others at risk for those with metabolic diseases.
I never knew that telomere was involved in the process of premature aging and just aging in general. It was interesting to learn that telomeres shorten as we age, and other factors like a lack of exercise are also related to the shortening of telomeres.
ReplyDeleteIt’s fascinating how telomeres, which seem like such a tiny part of our chromosomes, can have such a huge impact on how we age on the inside. I always thought aging was mostly about appearance or lifestyle, but this really shows how much our cells change long before we notice anything on the outside. The idea that telomerase and the shelterin complex help regulate telomere length and that disruptions can cause premature aging makes aging feel a lot more like a biological mechanism than just “getting older.” It also makes sense why shorter telomeres are linked to diseases like cardiovascular issues and Alzheimer’s. It’s a little scary, but also motivating to realize how connected our everyday habits are to what’s happening deep inside our cells.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting read. I am wondering now id we have or if we ever will have a way to maintain telomere length or even extend it and therefore extend our own lifespans. But then again that would be bad for the environment.
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