Ageing in Biological Terms

“Till death do us apart”... is a very common phrase used by lovers at weddings. But if we try to think about it, the truth behind the phrase is a little scary. To die we have to age and ageing is something most of us are afraid of. Right?

So then what is ageing? What makes us mortal? Exactly what's in the ageing process which precludes any single entity from living indefinitely? And, more importantly, what triggers ageing in the first place?

The phenomenon of ageing is defined as the accumulation of anatomical and physiological alterations that happen to us over a while. Our productivity and metabolic functioning slowly start deteriorating as we grow older and continue till our death.

These alterations are not linear or continuous, but they are merely tangentially related to a user's chronological age. The variety seen as people become older is not spontaneous. Aside from physiological changes, ageing is frequently linked to other transition periods such as retiring, moving to more suitable housing, and the demise of family members and friends.