Scientists make discovery that might slow aging
Listen to the story (Singaporean accent)
For centuries, people have wanted to slow down or reverse aging.
A team of scientists from the University of Cologne in Germany may have finally discovered how to do that.
Previous studies on aging focused on how genes affect or change our bodies, a process called gene expression. But, Dr. Andreas Beyer, the lead researcher for this project, and his team looked at how the process of making genes, called gene transcription, changes as we age.
They found that the "machine" responsible for copying genes, called Pol II, speeds up as we age. The faster speed creates more errors in the copies, which can cause many different diseases.
Previous studies found that reducing the number of calories an animal eats or blocking the action of insulin can slow down aging and extend the animal's lifespan.
Beyer's team wanted to see if these methods could also slow down the speed of the Pol II "machine" and reduce the number of errors in gene copies. To test this, they genetically modified worms, mice, and fruit flies by blocking the action of insulin. They also had mice on a low-calorie diet.
In all tests, the Pol II “machine” worked more slowly and made fewer errors. These animals lived 10 to 20 percent longer than the non-genetically modified animals. The researchers also tested this with human blood and found the same results.
Vocabulary24 words
- Century
- a period of 100 years
- Reverse
- To go backward; to undo something that was done before; to go in the opposite direction
- Age
- to grow old; to make/cause someone to look older
- Scientist
- a person who studies science or the natural world; researcher
- Discover
- to find, especially unexpectedly; to become aware of;
- Previous
- coming or occurring before something else; existing before in time or order; preceding
- Study
- the activity of examining/studying something in detail to discover new information; research; investigation
- Gene
- a small part of DNA that contains information that determines traits, such as eye color or height
- Process
- a procedure; a series of actions that you do to achieve a result/finish something; operation
- Lead
- the person who makes decisions; head; manager; top
- Researcher
- a person who does research; a person who studies something to find new results
- Find
- realize; learn; discover;
- Responsible for
- to be officially in charge of something; in control of; held accountable for something
- Error
- A mistake; an incorrect action or statement
- Cause
- make something (usually bad) happen; create
- Disease
- illness; sickness; disorder; something that attacks the body
- Reduce
- to make less; make smaller; decrease; bring down; shrink
- Calorie
- a unit used in measuring the amount of energy food gives you when eaten and digested
- Block
- to stop or prevent something from happening or moving forward; to prevent/stop someone or something from passing through
- Insulin
- A hormone produced by the pancreas that helps regulate blood sugar levels
- Lifespan
- The length of time that someone or something lives
- Method
- a way of doing something; procedure; technique; approach; way;
- Genetically modify
- To make changes to the DNA of an organism in order to give it new traits or characteristics; GMO
- Blood
- ?; The fluid that moves through the body and carries oxygen and nutrients to cells and organs
Discussion questions
- Do you think slowing down or reversing aging is a good idea? Why or why not?
- What are some potential ethical concerns with slowing down or reversing aging?
- Do you think the benefits of slowing down or reversing aging would be equally distributed among different social groups?
- How do you think society would change if aging could be slowed down or reversed?
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