HS 2211 - Human Anatomy and Physiology Discussion Forum Unit 1 As individuals age, a variety of systems begin the decline to the point where an individual's functioning is compromised. Identify and discuss two factors that have a role in factors leading to the compromised situation. As people age, the functionality of bodily functions begin to decline. These changes in functionality are presented in all systems, including respiratory, circulatory, reproductive, muscular, and nervous systems, and so on (OpenStax, 2018). Although aging is a natural process, studies have shown that lifestyle and genetic makeup are two leading factors in determining the extent to which an individual's functionality is compromised (OpenStax, 2018). An individual's lifestyle and environment plays a major role in determining how an individual ages (OpenStax, 2018). In the context of physical activity, a person living a sedentary lifestyle will age much faster than those who are active in their daily lives. One indicator for aging has been seen in telomeres, which are components of DNAs that protect chromosomes from deterioration (Sandoiu, 2017). The length of telomeres has been shown to be associated with aging and the development of disease (Sandoiu, 2017). Studies have indicated a linkage between the length of telomeres, exercise, and an individual's biological age (Sandoiu, 2017). Women who lived lifestyles with low physical activity had an "8-year biological age gap" compared to those who lived an active lifestyle and also had a shorter telomere length (Sandoiu, 2017). Telomere length can also be impacted by dietary choices and factors such as stress (Sandoiu, 2017). This study supports the fact that lifestyle plays a major role in compromising one's health and biological age. The aforementioned study regarding telomere relates to the second factor of genetic makeup. Aging is oftentimes characterized by the slow build up of DNA damage and "epigenetic changes" in the structure of DNA which eventually leads to "cell senescence" (Rodero et al., 2011). A person's genotype can determine their tendency to develop errors and DNA damage (Rodero et al., 2011). Some people may be born with genetic diseases and predispositions that make them more susceptible to accumulating errors QUESTIONS Do you think that environmental factors have a greater influence on aging than genetic factors? Reference OpenStax. (2018). Anatomy & physiology. Houston, TX: Rice University. https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology/pages/preface Rodero, R. S., Morera, F. L. J., Torre, M. E., Calvanese, V., Fernandez, F. A., & Fraga, F. M. (2011). Aging genetics and aging. Aging and Disease. 2(3). P.186- 195. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3295054/
Sandoiu, A. (2017). Sedentary lifestyle speeds up biological aging, study finds. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/315347 413 words