Abstract
A considerable body of evidence exists suggesting a heightened and/or dysfunctional immunological status with advancing age in vertebrates (Walford, 1962, 1964). There is an impressive increase in serum gamma globulin with age in all animals thus far studied, including humans, rats, gerbils, and bulls (Riegle & Neller, 1964). The percentage change in gamma globulin is relatively greater than the changes in most other biochemical parameters of aging, particularly if one omits values for very young animals. A relative increase in the ratio of splenic weight to body weight occurs with age in most animals. This increase is accompanied by a decrease in mitotic activity of splenic cells, but the decrease is considerably less than corresponding decreases in mitotic activity in other organs that contain dividing cell populations.
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Walford, R.L. (1965). Immunology and Aging. In: Kastenbaum, R. (eds) Contributions to the Psychobiology of Aging. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-39847-0_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-39847-0_7
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