Available:*
Library | Item Barcode | Call Number | Material Type | Item Category 1 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... | 30000010371331 | QP86.R525 1995 | Open Access Book | Gift Book | Searching... |
On Order
Summary
Summary
This treatment of human aging draws on biomedical research and the natural history of animals and plants to describe this natural phenomena in detail, helping the reader to understand this complex process. In the aging process of humans and many other species, the authors find some answers to why aging must exist at all. They present contemporary theories of aging and their implications for the prospect of significantly extending the human life span. The hows of aging, including genetic mutations, cellular degeneration, wear and tear on the body, and the gradual weakening of the body's immune system are explored carefully and fully, as are the genetic and environmental causes of aging.
Reviews 1
Choice Review
This slender, attractively produced volume is the result of a collaboration between an ecologist and a physiologist who provide information to anyone interested in aging. In their preface, they set forth a series of questions about aging that their book attempts to address: What are the causes of aging? Is it biologically universal? Why do patterns of aging differ among organisms, and do humans differ in the ways they age? Given that there are human differences, are they genetic or environmental, and can this be changed in the future? How can knowledge of the aging process help us with resource allocation for an aging population of humans? The questions are answered admirably in eight chapters. The photographic and diagrammatic illustrative material is largely in color, adding to the attraction of the book. Although tables and figures of research data are included, they are presented in a manner that will not frighten away the casual reader. The important work of others is referred to in the text, but classical references (author, date) are not included. Instead, a list of general and more technical sources of additional reading is appended. An 11-page index will assist any reader in the location of a specific topic. A worthy addition to any library, personal or public. All levels. L. A. Meserve; Bowling Green State University
