From Weismann's theory to present day gerontology 1889-2003

From Weismann's theory to present day gerontology--Weismann's theory was based on the concept that through natural selection the division potential of somatic cells become finite thus limiting the regeneration of the soma and the life span of the organism. Indeed, the somatic cells of some animals have a finite division potential but what became apparent is that the implications for aging are more complex. Experiments showed that at each cell division the genetic information received by each daughter cell differs; cells are this way progressively modified through division creating a functional drift that is responsible in part for the continuous modifications going on in the organism from its very beginning to its extinction. Comparative biology showed that the finite or the infinite division potential of somatic cells has a complex connotation with developmental characteristics of the respective organism with implications for longevity that are far from being understood.