Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Cellular Theory of Aging

  • Reference work entry
Encyclopedia of Aging and Public Health

Cellular theories of aging propose that human aging is the result of cellular aging, whereby an increasing proportion of cells reach senescence, a terminal stage at which cells will cease to divide. This will limit the body's ability to regenerate and to respond to injury or stress. This process will occur over time in dividing cells; cell division gradually slows with each successive division, until a point of replicative senescence, at which point no further divisions will occur. The mechanism of replicative senescence is thought to involve some type of biological clock within the cell, which measures the number of cellular divisions and signals the cell to discontinue division at some genetically predetermined time.

The Cell Cycle and Cellular Senescence

The process of cell growth and division into two identical daughter cells occurs in a series of regulated steps called the cell cycle. There are four main stages that cells pass through during the cell cycle: (1) “G1” also called...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 299.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

 

Suggested Readings

  • Crews DE (2003) Human senescence: evolutionary and biocultural perspectives. Cambridge University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Ishikawa F (2000) Aging clock: the watchmaker's masterpiece. Cell Mol Life Sci 57(5):698–704

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kart CS, Metress EK, Metress SP (1992) Human aging and chronic disease. Jones and Bartlett, Boston, MA

    Google Scholar 

  • Klatz R, Goldman B (1996) Stopping the clock: why many of us will live past 100—and enjoy every minute! Keats Publishing, New Canaan, CT

    Google Scholar 

  • Masoro EJ (1999) Challenges of biological aging. Springer, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Medina J (1996) The clock of ages: why we age—how we age—winding back the clock. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitbourne SK (2001) Adult development and aging, biopsychosocial perspectives. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Jessica Diggs
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio

    Sana JD Loue PhD, MPH

  2. School of Medicine, University Hospitals Case Medical Center Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio

    Martha Sajatovic MD

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

About this entry

Cite this entry

Diggs, J. (2008). Cellular Theory of Aging. In: Loue, S.J., Sajatovic, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Aging and Public Health. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-33754-8_81

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-33754-8_81

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-33753-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-33754-8

  • eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation