After learning a little about genetics and virology, I have come to the following conclusions.
- No organism can live forever. All cells except neural cells need to be replaced at some point. This is done through cell replication. The mechanism of cell replication implies every time a cell replicates one end of each chromosome in the DNA genome called telomere is shortened. Eventually telomere is so short replication cannot occur. That starts the unavoidable decline and death.
- Neural cells cannot regenerate and therefore, evolution generally preserves these cells no matter what their condition is. All cells accumulate defects over time. These defects can be mutations in the genome or infections. There comes a point when the neurons have so much defect, even as they continue in the system, they are essentially non-functional. That starts the decline of brain health which includes memory and even the ability to control the functioning of the organism.
Comments