Why do living things grow old and die?

Question

Why can something like a bristlecone pine live for 5000 years but not forever?

What do you think causes it?

Answer 1

I'm not a biologist - but the usual explanation why living things die of old age, is that cells fail to copy themself accurately as the organism ages. Think of a photocopier, in which you are copying a copy of a copy all the time, and you notice how the quality gets poorer and poorer in quality - surprisingly fast...
Biologists are trying to understand why this is happening? That if human cells can copy themselves more accurately - the secrets against aging could be unlocked and reduced substantially.

There is reference to this - in Billy Meier's 251st Contact Notes - saying it could be done in our near future...

Answer 2

The human body was designed with the capacity to heal, and so live forever. Something in the fruit Adam & Eve ate-probably an enzyme-slowed down the healing process to the point that we all age, and die; because we break down faster than we heal. This is punishment for sin, and a way of preventing sinners from living forever, and spreading their sins everywhere. Imagine the horrors the universe would be full of if people like Hitler, Jack The Ripper, Saddam Hussein, etc, lived forever, and never got sick, or senile, or such. Knowledge would have been maintained forever, rather than being lost in wars, etc. Ghengis Khan would have taken over half the galaxy by now. Rape, pillage, etc, would be standard universe wide. Imagine the fun Jack The Ripper would have-and the horror women would experience-if no one died. Jack could attack you every day for eternity...beat you, cut your throat, let you bleed half to death, watch you heal before dieing, cut you again, etc, and do that a dozen times to the same person each day...times several dozen people each day/week...forever. How fun would that be? Death limits sin. Eventually, God will put an end to sin, and non-sinners will live forever in new bodies. For now, sin is being allowed...to show to people how terrible it is, and what results it has. This is a school lesson, to teach us why we should obey God rather than do things our own way. Death is a spanking God gives children he loves, and wants to train. Humans brought death into the universe by sinning, and so all things now die. Some live short lives full of energy-like humming birds-while others live a long time but do little, and move slow...like turtles. God had His own reasons for designing all things as they are, and assigning each its' own metabolic rate.

Answer 3

might desire to you think of the complication we'd be in if no-one died of previous age? The planet may well be over-run and we'd desire to die of starvation because of the fact the planet would not be waiting to assist us. additionally, IMHO there is not any such ingredient as a divine being. The bible and faith has sporned the countless worst monsters in historic previous. They kill interior the call of their god even even with the undeniable fact that the bible says it is incorrect to achieve this. The bible is a reference for persons who've little of their lives to hold on the brink of. while issues bypass stable we thank god. while issues bypass down the lavatory its an act of god and he's attempting out us... he's on a win win all the way even even with the undeniable fact that he looks to do no longer something... there is not any genuine info the two way and neither will there be so. once you're ineffective you're ineffective so get obtainable and luxuriate in existence... There extra suitable than possibly isn't yet another extra powerful one waiting for you... Thos who kill, extraordinarily interior the call of Allah are heavily brainwashed and regrettably some people have self belief each little thing their non secular leaders tell them... seventy 3 virgins waiting for them in heaven... what style of rational being might have self belief that... and why are those virgins in heaven in such quantaties anyhow... who killed all of them? talk... Graham

Answer 4

It is a blessing that we do not have to stay here past the time of our testing and proving. We have a better place to be. In that place nothing will grow old or die.
The sinfulness of man brought death into the world, and the sacrifice of Christ removed the penalty of that sin.

Answer 5

Sin causes every thing not to live forever. Animals use to be even good animals. Man lived with dinosors and things because tey were not harmful until Adam sined.

Answer 6

Read up on it in biological texts. I think one hypothesis is that evolution favours organisms which have lots of turns at producing new generations, because that's when mutations occur which are the raw material of evolution (and evolution is what allows organisms to respond to environmental changes, competition etc.). Without constant succession of generations, species might just go extinct through inability to adapt to changing conditions. The genomes that survive and proliferate would therefore be the ones with limited, vigorous lives and frequent succession of generations.

Answer 7

Sucks to live in a fallen world, doesn't it Holly?

Incidently.. to quote Axl Rose.. Quoting Bob Dylan is it?

It wouldn't be luck if we got out of life alive.

Answer 8

Yep, their telomeres don't snap off as fast as ours.
Our species really used to only live until our grandchildren were born, around age 30 or so.

Answer 9

There are parts of cells called telomeres. The more they divide, the more they degrade. The more they degrade, the more things age.

Answer 10

Adam/Eve brought death into the world as part of their punishment for their sin in the garden of eden.