Why do humand become old and then die?

Answer 1

all cells undergo a programmed cell death. the process is called apoptosis. this is when the metabolism of the cell can no longer support vital functions due to depletion of materials inside it. Red blood cells die after every 120 days. But anyway rbcs have nothing to do with this question at present. Nerve cells or neurons do not have the capacity to regenerate. once they die; they die. new cells do not grow in their place nor do they regenerate back. the elasticity also decreases with age. bones loose their ossein and become progressively brittle due to deposition of salts. in young people this the salts and organic constituents of bone are in balance. the vessels also suffer. all the cholesterol we intake slowly makes plaques in teh vessels and decrases the blood flow to the heart. in an attempt to maintain proper blood flow in the body, the heart has to work harder and harder depending on the extent of blockage. it undergoes hypertropy. then it undergoes ischemia and finally necrosis resulting in infarction and heart failure. all these are just some causes of death.
now think on a bigger level. when the constituent cells cannot function properly, the organ made up by them also malfunctions. diseases during our life also play a major role. for eg. hepatocytes, the cells of the liver may be damaged due to injuries like hepatitis and cirrhosis (death of hepatocytes). nerve cells undergo demyelination and this results in decreased conduction of impulses.

all this is just an explanation to suggest that what comes into existence has to return back into the shadows of non-existence some day. its the law of nature. if we dont die then there wont be space for new people to come. take it to the celluar level again. a cell dies; a new cell takes its place(forget the nervous system here).

Its unevitable.

Answer 2

you have some really good answers here (and some not so "smart" ones) JustinL has it right. All of the cells in our bodies are programed to die at a certain time. That's just the way they are. Cells reproduce a certain number of time and then they commit suicide. That's is why older people look smaller, more fragile. because they have less cells then they did in their younger days. Now everybody is different. That's why not everybody dies at a certain age. The environment you live in has a lot to do with your deterioration, as do you social habits (smoking, drinking) Healthier people live longer. The process of dying is a process of deterioration.

Answer 3

The shortening of telomeres. Each cell cycle, a few DNA bases are left off at the end of the chromosome. When the telomeres (the name for these ends) become too short (after many cell divisions), it has deleterious effects on the cells.

In certain cancer cells, the enzyme telomerase is activated: this adds a short stretch of DNA to the ends. thusly, the telomeres never shorten and the cell is immortal.

Apologies for inaccuracy, this is from hazy memories....

Answer 4

Our cells begin to deteriorate at birth. For whatever reason, our bodies simply cannot last. Personally, I believe it is because our bodies cannot handle the strain we put them under. From birth we are angry, demanding, selfish...we know that harboring these negative emotions causes wrinkles, raises blood pressure, etc. It seems that our bodies cannot handle our sin, if you will.
The strange thing is it appears that only our bodies really age. The person remains the same person even though their body is deteriorating. Even ppl who have dementia are still the same person they have always been -their brain is simply no longer connecting them to the world around them. They still retain procedural and long-term memories until the very end.

Answer 5

Human are made up of cell which must grow and die. YOU can still remember characteristics of living things MR NIGERD so the death is the last character of man.(biologically)
In order word, Bible also support it that man must die because we are made from dust and we must return to dust which can only be possible by dying and then decay back to dust .

Answer 6

UNFORTUNATELY EVERYTHING AGES, AND GETS OLDER. AND THEN DIES.. NOTHING LIVES FOREVER.. THAT IS JUST THE WAY THINGS ARE.. IF PEOPLE LIVED FOREVER THERE WOULD BE NO ROOM ON THIS EARTH FOR EVERYONE.. IT IS AS GOD PLANNED IT , SOMEONE DIES AND A BABY IS BORN TO TAKE THEIR PLACE.. WHEN MY GRANDFATHER DIED, I HAD MY FIRST SON, AND WHEN MY FATHER DIED I HAD MY SECOND SON.. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I HAD NO MORE CHILDREN, KINDA FELT LIKE IT WAS MY FAULT THEY DIED !! EVEN THOUGH IT WAS NOT... BUT THAT IS THE BEST ANSWER I CAN GIVE YOU.. IT IS JUST THE WAY OF THE WORLD.. WE MUST ALL GROW UP AND GET OLDER AND THEN SOME DAY WE WILL DIE..

Answer 7

because we are living beings, truly anything living grows from infancy, to childhood, maturity, and then dies, fruit flies do it in 14 days, it takes a little longer for most other things, human beings average about 75 yrs. bristlecone pines maybe ten thousand years, to everything there is a season and a purpose. the main purpose to life is simply to reproduce.

Answer 8

nono. u should ask why do we not live forever like Wolverine does ^^

but its not just humans, it's every living thing on this planet. Its the oxygen we'r breathin i tell ya. Cant breath without them, cant live with them. (for the long term anyways) Such irony.

Answer 9

Man that is a provocative question, think about that long enough and your liable to grow old and die

Answer 10

Because it makes way for new life. I wouldn't want to live forever, would you? That would be tiring.