Evolutionary Biology Of Aging Essay

Aging, as described in the book “Evolutionary Biology of Aging” is a: “Persistent decline in the age-specific fitness components of an organism due to internal physiological deterioration” (Rose, 1991). The fact of the matter is that as human beings, and ultimately, living things, our bodies deteriorate as we advance in age and it becomes more and more noticeable to others as we grow older. What Rose was saying is that our bodies experience significant physical changes in our later years especially in the skeletal and muscular system.

Our body’s skeletal system could be considered the ‘infrastructure’ of the human body consisting of 206 bones along with a network of ligaments and cartilage to connect them all. This system performs vital functions to the survival of the body, and over time, it too deteriorates just like any other living thing. One of the most common diseases of the bone

This condition would limit an elderly to perform many daily living activities such as going up and down stairs. It is a good idea to speak to a health care professional about various diets, exercises and supplements that could help in keeping the bones healthy and strong. Another thing to be aware of is to minimize the risk of falling by modifying the living environment. This can be achieved by removing potential dangers, and adding assistive devices such as grab bars in the bathroom.

Likewise, the body’s muscular system is liable to suffer the same fate as that of the skeletal system in the aging human being. The body’s strength and muscle mass peak in the 20’s for most people and by the age of 80, most have only half as much strength and endurance, and as the aging process continues, lean body mass is inevitably replaced with fat. Muscle fibers have fewer myofibrils; and the body begins to experience fatigue more quickly. The most rapid muscle decline tends to occur after the age of