Aging: The current perspectives

Abstract

Aging is a universal phenomenon that leads to decline in the efficiency of various body functions after an organism attains adulthood. This process is highly conserved over all the species from protozoan to mammals. After the attainment of reproductive maturity, especially in mammals, a consistent decline in the function of vital organs of the body is well documented. Some diseases such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer's diseases, Parkinsonism, lewy body dementia, osteoporosis etc mark the onset of aging. Enormous amount of literatures have accumulated giving emphasis on the age-related alterations in the function of individual organs. Researchers have long been looking for the answer to basic cause of aging. Though several theories have been proposed to explain this process, none of them has yet got unanimous acceptance. Development of advanced molecular genetic techniques has contributed significantly in the understanding of the basic cellular processes that are altered during aging. However, the answer to the basic question, what causes aging, still remains an enigma. The core aim of the present article is to summarize and discuss the developments in the last two decades on biological aspect of aging concentrating mainly on brain aging and outlining the modern interventional relevance for the treatment of age related neurodegenerative diseases. © 2011 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.