Aging is a complex process controlled by various genetic elements and environmental factors. It is characterized by a combination of deteriorative processes after a period of development of an organism. In mammals, extensive cell proliferation and tissue repair in adult organisms are required to replenish millions of cells every day in order to...

When normal human cells are removed from the body and cultured in a petri dish, they continue to divide only a limited number of times, after which they enter a state of dormancy known as replicative (or cellular) senescence. The induction of replicative senescence is caused by the erosion of DNA at the ends of chromosomes (called telomeres),...