What are the Seven Primary Causes of Aging?
Biogerontologists have been investigating aging scientifically for over a century. In that time, they’ve identified seven primary causes of aging. The last cause was discovered in 1981, and no other causes of aging have been found since, leading many to think that there are likely only seven causes. In the context of anti-aging research, it has been argued that if therapies could be devised to remove the toxic effects associated with each of the causes of aging, then lifespan could be extended indefinitely. The seven primary causes of aging, as listed by biogerontologist Aubrey de Grey, are 1) cell loss, 2) nuclear mutations and epimutations, 3) mitochondrial mutations, 4) cellular senescence, 5) extracellular cross-links, 6) extracellular junk, and 7) intracellular junk. Much research is already underway to find engineering solutions to these biochemical challenges. As one grows older, muscular atrophy sets in, partially due to decreased levels of hormones and growth factors. Injectin