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Sex and ageing.

¹Department of Gerontology, Institute for the Health of the Elderly, Wolfson Research Centre, University of Newcastle, Newcastle General Hospital, Westgate Road, NE4 6BE, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. tom.kirkwood@ncl.ac.uk

Experimental Gerontology

|March 16, 2001

Summary

Evolutionary theories link sex and ageing, suggesting reproduction investment impacts somatic maintenance. The key factor is the soma/germ-line distinction, not sex itself, influencing human life history and germ-line immortality.

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Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Gerontology
Reproductive biology

Background:

Sex and ageing are interconnected, with evolutionary theories proposing senescence as a trade-off for reproductive investment.
The soma/germ-line distinction, rather than sex itself, is central to understanding this relationship.
Recent research explores the evolution of human life history, including menopause, and germ-line immortality mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the evolutionary link between sex and ageing.
To elucidate the role of the soma/germ-line distinction in senescence.
To examine the molecular basis of germ-line immortality versus somatic ageing.

Main Methods:

Review of evolutionary theories of ageing.
Analysis of evidence supporting the soma/germ-line distinction.
Investigation of molecular mechanisms in germ-line and somatic cells.

Main Results:

Evidence supports the concept that investing in reproduction (linked to sex) comes at the cost of somatic maintenance, leading to ageing.
The distinction between somatic and germ-line cells is critical, explaining differential ageing.
Molecular mechanisms highlight germ-line cells' apparent immortality compared to ageing somatic cells.

Conclusions:

The evolutionary theory of ageing is supported by the link between reproductive investment and somatic decline.
The soma/germ-line distinction is a fundamental concept in understanding ageing.
Further research into germ-line immortality and somatic ageing mechanisms is warranted.

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