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Published: Wed, 30 July 2008, 07:52, also tagged: dna, science, biology, evolution, darwinism, stanford university, natural selection, ageing, charles darwin, caenorhabditis elegans
A recent publication by the Stanford University School of Medicine has shown that death by aging might be controlled by an organisms DNA rather than “rust”, i.e. the wear and tear of life (cell damage, radiation etc.) leading to an accumulation of damage which becomes so extensive that the organism can no longer 100% repair – ultimately resulting in death.
The research leading the scientists from Stanford University to this conclusion involved examining age regulation in the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans. The research team discovered age-related shifts in levels of three transcription factors (on / off switches for genes).
The senior author of the research, Stuart Kim, PhD said “We were really surprised”.