Most disturbing image of the day: network diagram of the biology of aging
Right now my wife is undergoing treatment for cancer. As if this were not enough of a freak-out, this article discusses multiple, parallel mechanisms of body deterioration that result in aging. These various mechanisms have a variety of interactions amongst themselves, hence, a network diagram. The diagram is fascinating, but the accompanying text reminds me of all the ways I contribute to my own death every day though poor living habits.
I was sitting here eating lunch and drinking a soda when I read this:
Mitochondria function to convert the chemical energy from food into ATP, which cellular enzymes use to do work. As a by-product of energy conversion, ROS are produced. Mitochondria are also involved in sensing when a cell is sick enough to initiate programmed cell death (apoptosis or necrosis). Mutated mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) can impair energy conversion and increase ROS production. Increased amounts of mutated mtDNA have been associated with progeriatric syndromes (premature symptoms of aging), Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, deafness, heart failure, optic nerve degeneration, cancer, and several progressive muscle diseases, as well as with the aging process itself. [Wallace, Lodish, Stryer, de Grey, Fliss] Conversely, less than usual accumulated mtDNA damage has been found in animals who live longer and healthier as a result of calorie restricted diets.
In other words, soda is bad on a microbiological level. Yikes!
