The cellular basis of aging

Normal cells have only a finite life span before they die. The process known as aging may occur as a result of continued damage to the cell or as a result of expression of predetermined information within the genetic structure of the cell. Both processes lead to progressive cellular dysfunction which is evidenced by the organs of the body as aging. By understanding how individual cells age we will gain insight into how the body as a whole ages. The impact of such knowledge on science and society is a matter of both conjecture and concern.