DNA, DNA replication, and aging

Abstract

Are we programmed to die? How and why do we become old? Is there any possibility to prevent or slow down the aging? Why do cells stop reproducing at particular stage? How do some flatworms become “biologically immortal?" The answers to these fascinating questions related to aging still remain elusive. Improvement in the healthcare facilities and longer life span has resulted in rise in the number of age-related disorders. As a result, aging has become an important facet of the society. Understanding the biology of cellular senescence serves as an important tool to study the process of aging. It is the outcome of many complex changes in normal biological functions within the cells and among distant tissues. DNA, the genetic material of the living organisms, indeed plays a major role in the process of aging. In this chapter, we have summarized the possible role of DNA and its related processes like DNA replication, stress, telomere replication, DNA damage, and DNA modification (epigenetic) in aging.