The wear-and-tear theory of aging asserts that the effects of aging are caused by progressive damage to cells and body systems over time.
Our bodies wear out due to use.
Once they wear out, they can no longer function correctly.
It is sometimes called simple deterioration theory or fundamental limitation theory.
It’s one of many theories on aging that continue to emerge.
Some view aging as a more intentional process.
It’s important to recognize that there are several distinct theories of aging.
The wear-and-tear theory is just one.
It states that bodies wear out over time.
It can easily make sense when considering inanimate objects, from cars to clothes, that wear out and become less functional with time.
A wide range of internal and external factors can damage body systems.
Exposure to radiation, toxins, and ultraviolet light can damage genes.
The effects of the body’s own functioning can also cause damage.
When the body metabolizes oxygen, free radicals are produced that can cause damage to cells and tissues.
There are some cellular systems that don’t replace themselves throughout life, such as the nerve cells of the brain.
As these cells are lost, function eventually will be lost.
Within cells that continue to divide, the DNA can sustain damage and errors can accumulate.
The simple act of dividing, again and again, shortens the telomeres of the chromosomes, eventually resulting in a senescent cell that can no longer divide.
Oxidative damage in cells results in cross-linking of proteins, which prevents them from doing the jobs they are intended to do in the cells.
Free radicals inside mitochondria, the powerhouses of the cells in your body, injure their cell membranes so they can’t function as well.
Regardless of chronological age, the term “aging” is used to describe the progressive deterioration of a person or object.
On a broad level, the wear-and-tear theory fits closely with one of the fundamental laws of chemistry and physics, that of entropy.
This law states that all systems tend toward a state of increased entropy or progressive disorganization.
Weisman’s theory was proposed in the 1800s. Shakespeare addressed aging in his Seven Ages of Man, and religious texts have done so for millennia.
What does this mean for you.
The bottom line is that aging is universal.
Certain lifestyle factors may defer one’s demise to a degree, and at the very least, offer a better quality to the quantity of a lifespan.
But there are preventive measures you can take.
Learn some ways you can slow down aging here