Biological immortality
Biological Immortality
Biological immortality (pronunciation: /baɪˈɒlədʒɪkəl ɪˌmɔːrtəˈlɪti/) refers to a state where the rate of mortality from senescence is stable or decreasing, thus decoupling it from chronological age. Various unicellular and multicellular species, including some vertebrates, achieve this state either throughout their existence or after living long enough. A biologically immortal living being can still die from means other than senescence, such as through injury or disease.
Etymology
The term "biological immortality" is derived from the Greek words "bios" meaning "life" and "athanatos" meaning "deathless". It was first used in the late 19th century to describe the phenomenon where certain organisms do not experience aging, or senescence.
Related Terms
- Senescence: The condition or process of deterioration with age. Loss of a cell's power of division and growth.
- Aging: The process of becoming older, a process that is genetically determined and environmentally modulated.
- Telomeres: A region of repetitive nucleotide sequences at each end of a chromosome, which protects the end of the chromosome from deterioration or from fusion with neighboring chromosomes.
- Cell Division: The process by which a parent cell divides into two or more daughter cells.
- Vertebrates: Animals that have a backbone or spinal column, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes.
See Also
References
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