X-Message-Number: 26245
From: "mike99" <>
Subject: RE:  #26239 To Mike99 re. evolution of aging [Thomas Donaldson]
Date: Wed, 25 May 2005 14:22:38 -0600

Thomas Donaldson wrote:
>
> The problem with the notion that deterioration of our genes explains our
> aging is very simple. There is no special reason why our gene repair
> systems, or genes themselves, might not become more resistant to
> damage. In animals (bacteria, actually) living in nuclear reactors
> we see exactly that: they have duplicates of their genes, so that
> repair uses a majority vote to repair all of the genes. (No, that's
> not perfect, but it makes them much more resistant to radiation than
> we are or even normal bacteria are).
>
> I'm not at all the originator of a standard biological theory of how
> aging evolves, but you can look at the very first paper on that
> subject by GC Williams, "Pleiotropy, natural selection, and the
> evolution of senescence", EVOLUTION 11(1957) 398-411. I hope that
> it's now on the net but haven't checked that myself. I would add
> that others have produced math based on Williams' original idea,
> and it now looks pretty firm.


Thanks for the reference, Thomas. I will attempt to find that paper. But I
also want to say, just for clarification, that I forwarded the link to "Mice
offspring of older moms die younger" [
http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/node/7954 ] and Robert Bradbury's commentary
on it (it was his "Grand Unified Theory of Aging" not mine) solely for the
purpose of stimulating discussion, not because I hold any personal brief for
or against Bradbury's theory.


Regards,

Michael LaTorra




"For any man to abdicate an interest in science is to walk with open eyes
towards slavery."
-- Jacob Bronowski

"Experiences only look special from the inside of the system."
-- Eugen Leitl

Member:
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