Aging
Why do people get old? What makes them age?
Ageing is a very complicated process. In the simplest terms, we get old because of changes in the function of our cells as we age. The cells of the heart, lungs, brain, skin, eyes, etc. do not function as well as they did in younger years. The signals within the individual cells get crossed up or make mistakes and the regulation of cell function gets damaged. It is very similar to a car engine that slowly looses its performance as it gets older or a computer that slow down and makes more mistakes because it wears out. The ageing process cannot be traced to single event, but rather many different changes are seen as we age. 200 years ago, people did not get old because they all died at very young ages, but now as medicine and our lifestyles have improved, we live longer and for that reason, we are becoming more aware of the ageing process. We cannot prevent getting old, but we can prevent ageing by having a healthy diet and exercising. Perhaps more importantly, we can keep the brain active and sharp by reading.