Essay On Aging And Longevity

737 Words3 Pages
One of the most extraordinary characteristics of a genome is its ability to using the same genetic framework to create different phenotypes according to environmental stimuli. Such adaptive ability is known as phenotypic plasticity which is an important feature for natural selection (West-Eberhard, 2003). Not surprisingly, unravel how the same genome produces different forms, states or metabolisms according to the environment is a difficult task, but perhaps one of the most rewarding for those who are dedicated to the field of genetics. Aging is a characteristic which is largely influenced by environmental cues. It can interfere with longevity (Dannefer & Daub, 2009) and therefore it is a highly plastic biological feature. Aging and longevity are two different issues from the same subject, the understanding of how an organism’s life begins, develops and ends. Longevity can be depicted as the length of life, from birth to death (Schulz & Heckhausen, 1996). On the other hand, aging is a complex biological process marked by the accumulation of diverse deleterious changes in cells and tissues that…show more content…
To explore such questions, in our study newly-emerged A. mellifera workers were confined in cages and fed a protein diet (PD – pollen 30% + sugar 70%) or a protein-free diet (PFD – sugar syrup 50%) for seven days. Our hypothesis was that a protein-free diet anticipates adult development in Apis mellifera workers. In this study we introduce new pieces to this puzzle, such as oxidative stress, cuticular hydrocarbon and transcriptome data. Here we present new genetic aging markers and add information for a bigger view of how food manipulation modifies aging in this organism. That information clarifies previous knowledge on this area gathering many data important to the understanding of aging that may also give some clues of why these remarkable organisms are
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