Cells have evolved a variety of ways to compensate for stress-inducing circumstance, such as heat, cold, low nutrient availability, mutational damage caused by toxins, and so forth. Perhaps the most studied of these mechanisms is autophagy, which recycles damaged cell components into raw materials. A cell structure is flagged, then engulfed by a membrane called an autophagosome, which is then transported to a lysosome, where it deposits its contents to be broken down by enzymes. It is clear from many lines of research that increased autophagy slows the progression of aging, most likely by removing more of the molecular damage that contributes to dysfunction.
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Stress Resistance Pathways and Natural Variation in Human Longevity
Cells have evolved a variety of ways to compensate for stress-inducing circumstance, such as heat, cold, low nutrient availability, mutational damage caused by toxins, and so forth. Perhaps the most studied of these mechanisms is autophagy, which recycles damaged cell components into raw materials. A cell structure is flagged, then engulfed by a membrane called an autophagosome, which is then transported to a lysosome, where it deposits its contents to be broken down by enzymes. It is clear from many lines of research that increased autophagy slows the progression of aging, most likely by removing more of the molecular damage that contributes to dysfunction.
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