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Is Aging a Disease? Untangling the Relationship

Is Aging a Disease? Untangling the Relationship

by Michael A. Singer
Paperback
Publication Date: 10/05/2019

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Each species has its own characteristic aging trajectory coded by a species-specific developmental program. This developmental program is triggered at the time of fertilization, hence aging begins at conception. Within a species there are considerable variations in the aging phenotype between individuals due to the plasticity of the developmental process and its inherent stochasticity. The evolution of a species is due to genetic changes in its underlying developmental program and when enough genetic changes have accumulated a new species emerges with its own characteristic aging phenotype. Therefore, speciation and aging are linked processes. Over the evolutionary course of the human lineage, culture has been an important driver of evolutionary change. Culture is not restricted to the human lineage but only humans have evolved cumulative culture; the transmission of modified cultural practices across generations. Early cultural innovations such as toolmaking, agriculture and dairy farming had a utilitarian function. However, over the past 100 to 150 years, there has been a significant change in the pace and nature of cultural innovations. Although many cultural innovations still have a utilitarian function, a new category of cultural innovations has emerged that have "entertainment" functions in the domains of social communication and information transfer. In addition, cultural practices by the tobacco, food and technological industries have been used to modify population behaviors, physiology and beliefs. Over the past 50 to 75 years, there has emerged so called chronic non-infectious diseases, which occurrence parallels the development of these new cultural innovations and practices. In addition, culture has now become the primary driver of human evolution. In answer to the question posed by the title of this book, aging is not a disease and diseases are cultural constructs used to define variants in the aging process.
ISBN:
9781536155099
9781536155099
Category:
Geriatric medicine
Format:
Paperback
Publication Date:
10-05-2019
Language:
English
Publisher:
Nova Science Publishers, Incorporated
Country of origin:
United States
Dimensions (mm):
230x155mm
Weight:
0.28kg
Michael A. Singer

Michael A. Singer is the author of the New York Times bestseller, The Untethered Soul, which has also been published in Turkey, Brazil (in Portuguese), Switzerland (in German), Spain, Japan, China, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Poland, and Italy.

Singer received a master's degree in economics from the University of Florida in 1971. During his doctoral work, he had a deep inner awakening and went into seclusion to focus on yoga and meditation.

In 1975, he founded Temple of the Universe, a now long-established yoga and meditation center where people of any religion or set of beliefs can come together to experience inner peace. Through the years, Singer has made major contributions in the areas of business, the arts, education, healthcare, and environmental protection.

He previously authored two books on the integration of Eastern and Western philosophy: The Search for Truth and Three Essays on Universal Law: Karma, Will and Love.

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