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Abstract:
The author discusses ageing with special regard to evolution processes. Accelaration and retardation of certain ontogenetic phases or the whole ontogenesis have developed during phylogenesis and have been fixed genetically as a special reaction norm. The limitation of life span in highly differentiated organisms after reproduction is perfected has to be considered as one of the preconditions of evolution. Considering the phylogenesis, those hypotheses which interpret ageing as a continuous accumulation of cell damage, are no longer admissable. The different theories of the genetic control for ontogenesis are discussed on the basis of international literature.