What is the biological reason for why things die?

[Guttural Engagement]

Hey Escapist, so I was wondering, what is the biological reason for why things die? I know there is a thing called photo-aging (Light causes things to degrade?), is that why? Like, after a while - maybe our bodies just can't keep up with the rate of cells dying because of photo-aging?

 

[yayforgiveaway]

Because your DNA is 'programmed' in a way that makes cell regeneration worse and worse with every year.

 

[oxiclean]

I do not know if this will be a good answer, but...

I read in A Brief History of Time that disorder increases as time goes by, eg candles don't unburn, cups don't unshatter, paper doesn't untear, etc. Just as well, people don't unage, cells don't undie, etc. This may be more for an overall thing, rather than something specific.


I really don't know if that is the answer, or if I even got that right, but it's something anyway. please, someone correct me if I butchered that.

 

[The Hairminator]

In humans- Because the brain stops functioning. That's what it all comes down to.
If any of the vital organs fail, it will in turns eventually lead to brain failure and then you die.

 

[Dango]

The muscles in the heart eventually tire and stop pumping, leaving the rest of your organs with no blood supply.

And I'm surprised by the diversity of these answers.

 

[Guttural Engagement]

In humans- Because the brain stops functioning. That's what it all comes down to.
If any of the vital organs fail, it will in turns eventually lead to brain failure and then you die.

Yes, but WHY would the brain just suddenly stop functioning? Even in a perfectly healthy person?

 

[Ozzythecat]

Because as thing grow and age the clones of your cells degrade with every batch, this is due to the fact transposons and centromeres occasionally "lose" a peptide or some phosphate groups are lost, so mainly as your cells essentially clone themselves the degradation carries down the line, until the degradation causes dangerous defects and mutations. There more to it but I don't know the exact specifics and I'm too lazy to type them anyway.

 

[AssassinJoe]

The degradation of cells in the body, due to preprogramed sequences in our DNA. As to why our DNA is programed this way I have no idea.

Can the DNA sequence be changed so that we live longer?..... I am currently working on that in my lab.

 

[Shivarage]

The CIIRRRCALLLLL of LIIIIIIIIFE *dadummm!*

 

[Guttural Engagement]

The muscles in the heart eventually tire and stop pumping, leaving the rest of your organs with no blood supply.

But why would they tire if you had all the nutrients required? Do you mean Cell Degradation? That's the only reason I can think of for death; Cell Degradation.

 

[Upbeat Zombie]

We die because the longer we live the more our body's degrade, and then our cells can't repair themselves.

 

[GrinningManiac]

Because as thing grow and age the clones of your cells degrade with every batch, this is due to the fact transposons and centromeres occasionally "lose" a peptide or some phosphate groups are lost, so mainly as your cells essentially clone themselves the degradation carries down the line, until the degradation causes dangerous defects and mutations. There more to it but I don't know the exact specifics and I'm too lazy to type them anyway.

Neat. I knew it was something to do with 'batch' degrading, but I didn't know the reason for it. Thanks

 

[Guttural Engagement]

Because as thing grow and age the clones of your cells degrade with every batch, this is due to the fact transposons and centromeres occasionally "lose" a peptide or some phosphate groups are lost, so mainly as your cells essentially clone themselves the degradation carries down the line, until the degradation causes dangerous defects and mutations. There more to it but I don't know the exact specifics and I'm too lazy to type them anyway.

Thanks, that makes sense; along with Photo-Aging n' stuff - I now understand why some people die young as fuck of natural causes - they get passed down shitty DNA and then die. LOL

 

[BadassCyborg]

Because the parts wear out and you can't replace them. Duh.

 

[Jabberwock xeno]

Pretty much what everybody already said.

Technically speaking, there are ways for organisms to live forever (some do).

 

[DeathsHands]

It's cell degradation, as others have said.

 

[Yudas]

We die, as said, when the brain stops functioning.

The theories behind biological reasons for aging are many and varied. Some propose a 'wear and tear' theory, were the body simply gets worn down over the years. Others, that organic molecules which we cant break down slowly accumulate in our bodies, and start to interfere with normal functions.

Many theories involve the DNA. We have a protein in our cell called telomerase, that makes sure our DNA is big as needed after each cell division. This is needed because a small amount of DNA is lost after each division, and without telomerase this won't be regained. This only works in some of our cells, and those who doesnt have it, will only be able to divide themselves for a set amount of times (around 50.)

Over the years we accumulute mutations in our DNA. We have 3.2 DNA molecules in our genome, and for each cell division a few will be wrongly copied. This can lead to cancer, or to the decline in cell functionality which might cause aging.

There are many more more theories some involving evolutionary benefits and others religious.

 

[The Hairminator]

In humans- Because the brain stops functioning. That's what it all comes down to.
If any of the vital organs fail, it will in turns eventually lead to brain failure and then you die.

Yes, but WHY would the brain just suddenly stop functioning? Even in a perfectly healthy person?

It doesn't, unless you are decapitated or something, and then you wouldn't be healthy.

The closest to that scenario I could think of is if you for example have some kind of genetical heart disease. Then it's all genetics, and your heart simple has a built-in flaw that makes it stop beating at some point.

If you mean overall, the body cells degenerate. As cells recreate themselves they loose quality for some reason.

 

[Internet Kraken]

Because your DNA is 'programmed' in a way that makes cell regeneration worse and worse with every year.

That's what I recall from biology. At a certain point, your cells stop regenerating as often and eventually this leads to your body's inability to preform the functions necessary to survive.

Yes, but WHY would the brain just suddenly stop functioning? Even in a perfectly healthy person?

If your brain ever stops functioning, it means you were not perfectly healthy. People don't just drop dead for no reason.

 

[Aiden_the-Joker1]

Really there is not one answer. Death by old age can come under a number of things, the heart muscles tiring out, loss of too many brain cells causing the brain to shut down, the lung muscles tiring out and just stopping. *Worship Insano* My SCIENCE is correct you will not question my SCIENCE *Worship Insano*