obesity and smoking are important risk factors for many age-related diseases. both are states of hightened oxidative stress, which increases the rate of telomere erosion per replication, and inflammation, which enhances white blood cell turnover.
what does this mean? I really dont get it!
2007-12-15 08:52:42 · 3 answers · asked by khadijazafar1 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
The white cells are dieing and being replaced at higher than nominal rate.
2007-12-15 09:01:31 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Telomeres are at the ends of chromosomes. It's thought that these telomeres get shorter and shorter with each division, and when they are too short that the chromosome is basically ruined and the cell's life is done. This may be a major component of cell aging as well as organism aging. The part in your question that says "increases the rate of telomere erosion per replication" means that the process would be sped up so cells (and organisms) would age and end their lives sooner.
I always think of telomeres like those little hard parts on the ends of shoestrings. What if they wore down a little bit every time you tied your shoes? What if obesity and smoking made them wear down a little faster even though you tied your shoes the same amount of times? What if your shoestring just came all unraveled as soon as the little hard parts were worn off the end? They wouldn't be good for shoestrings any more. That's what telomeres are like.
Enhancing white blood cell turnover means using up the white blood cells at a faster rate so the body has to make more of them at a faster rate - again causing wear and tear on the body.
Sounds like two good reasons to keep the weight down and to avoid smoking!
2007-12-15 17:02:40 · answer #2 · answered by ecolink 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
go to google
2007-12-15 18:47:22 · answer #3 · answered by sabaa 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋