PSYC 4072 Chapter : Physiological Aging
Document Summary
Midlife (40s 50s) when we start to see the greatest changes, scary diseases creeping in. Culmination of the things that have been happening all along. Bodies less able to react to stress. Current theories of aging explain some aspects of the aging process, but none of the theories can account for all of the facts. Aging is a genetic thing, body deteriorates because of what dna says. Based on the idea that the aging process is genetically controlled. Information that controls development is coded in the genes (made up of molecules of dna) You don"t have to think about it, unfolds naturally (ie. caterpillar just becomes a butterfly without thinking about it or really doing anything) Aging is a programmed part of development. Three sources of evidence consistent with this view: premature aging. A useful way to study genetic influences on aging is to conduct studies on people who age in an abnormal fashion.
