Humans have a very functional system to maintain life;why does it degrade and then die?

Question

it certainly just evolves to die?
We start as babies and we evolve to adult hood, middle age ,old age , old old age,then die. This is a scientific observation about human life decay.and I asked non scientists and they seem to confirm it ;even thought we cannot believe what non scientist observe.

Answer 1

it's all because of Adam and Eve. We were not meant to die.

Answer 2

We start as babies and we evolve to adult hood, middle age ,old age , old old age,then die. This is a scientific observation about human life decay.
because it is because when we r going to proceed in life then many changes r going to happen in life

Answer 3

Hello goring,
I am enjoying all your science questions. Please keep it up.

Your question actually proves that you have a brain of a scientist!

There are two groups of theories about why we grow old and die eventually:

1- Programmed Theories
These theories hold that there are biological timetables or clocks which make our bodies EVOLVE (as you said) to die. So our bodies perhaps have a timetable of growth, development, ageing and DEATH!
This biological clock works by -
a) Decrease in hormones like Growth Hormone, testosterone, estrogen etc.
b) Programmed cell death or Apoptosis (i.e. as we grow older, our cells start committing suicides!)
Or
c) a decline in our immune system.

There is another set of theories though which says that there is nothing programmed and it is all due to wear and tear by environment. This second set of theories is called :

2. Damage and error theories.
Damage can be by free radicals, crosslinking, wear and tear, error catastrophe and somatic mutation.

Important:
Death is usually caused due to shortfall of oxygen supply to the tissues. Causes of death are many but, scientists still don't know that whether death is a programmed thing or just random damage and error. If we find that missing link someday, someone somewhere will invent the formula to remain IMMORTAL! Now, how cool would that be!!?

Answer 4

It has been theorized that the very first life systems, were in fact “immortal”. These organisms however, then faced the problem of complete destruction through viral, or predator interactions. An undying system also faces extreme over and under population problems. When viewed as humanity, or society our “system” is better suited for long-term survival. The individual human may die, but the species as a whole is stronger because of the fact that we procreate and die. Mother nature refines systems through evolution; she apparently finds procreation quite efficient.

Answer 5

after the body has been exposed to gravity, natural radiation, and other factors it becomes increasingly more likely over time to develop cancer and diseases (because the immune system weakens over long periods of time even though it can recognize and quickly defeat more pathogens than at earlier ages). Also, when an organism dies it decomposes into soil and stuff where producers in an ecosystem can have more fertile soil, it is like a cycle that evolution recognizes to apply to all organisms because evolution is not controlled by an intelligent mind, it just happens and doesn't realize that humans are intelligent beings.

Answer 6

Because living things that reproduce don't need to live forever. Interacting with the environment damages cells, metabolism damages cells. When a cell is too badly damaged it will self destruct rather than risk becoming a danger to the whole organism.

When it dies it needs to be replaced, if possible. It is replaced by one of its neighbors or a more specialized type of progenitor cell dividing. Cells that divide can only do so a finite number of times. There is a limiting mechanism in the chromosomes that acts sort of like a fuse ticking down with each division, when it gets near the end it slows down the reproduction rate.

Without being able to regenerate damaged cells the body can't repair itself fully making it more vulnerable to system failures and infectious disease.

Living things also slowly build up toxic chemicals and elements throughout life that they cant excrete or break down. These things can cause cancer and organ failure in humans, although they usually aren't primary causes of death, they can contribute substantially.

Answer 7

It is a built in natural response, if the ecosystem can not support the life then it will find natural ways to balance thing, If no one died then the world would never be able to support the amount of human life and we would all die from starvation or diseases, death is natures way of making room for new life.

Answer 8

Most of our body components need to be replaced on a regular basis. This involves making copies of the cells. This requires copying of their DNA, as well as the other components. Each time DNA is copied, it loses telomeres, because the DNA - copying system cannot copy right to the ends; it falls off the strand, as it gets near the end. Eventually, we run out of spare DNA at the end, and start losing genes.

We also accumulate mutations, deeper into the strands.

Our mitochondria need to be replicated each cell division, too. They accumulate DNA losses and damage, too.

Eventually, we run out of spare capacity to repair and replace; faster, if we keep damaging our body eg by smoking.

Answer 9

Yes sad is it not that the only thing we have to look forward to is death. But what surprises me is that many very very old people actually look forward to death. So the person actually chooses to die even if the system is still functional.

Answer 10

plants and animals have the same problem .
its called a life cicle,some are bigger than others

death is the food for life.
love being the only truth
everything else is an ilusion
.
this is a non scientific observation

Answer 11

Not only human life, but trees, fish, animals, and fungi are similar. That's why thy are called "living things". As you probably observed, rocks, minerals, metals, liquids are some what different - not living things and they do not evolve.