Biological immortality (sometimes referred to as bio-indefinite
mortality) is a state in which the rate of mortality from senescence
is stable or decreasing, thus decoupling it from chronological age.
Various unicellular and multicellular species, including some
vertebrates, achieve this state either throughout their existence or
after living long enough. A biologically immortal living being can
still die from means other than senescence, such as through injury,
disease, or lack of available resources.This definition of immortality
has been challenged in the Handbook of the Biology of Aging, because
the increase in rate of mortality as a function of chronological age
may be negligible at extremely old ages, an idea referred to as the
late-life mortality plateau. The rate of mortality may cease to
increase in old age, but in most cases that rate is typically very
high.The term is also used by biologists to describe cells that are
not subject to the Hayflick limit on how many times they can
divide.Biologists chose the word "immortal" to designate cells that
are not subject to the Hayflick limit, the point at which cells can no
longer divide due to DNA damage or shortened telomeres. Prior to
Leonard Hayflick's theory, Alexis Carrel hypothesized that all normal
somatic cells were immortal.
mortality) is a state in which the rate of mortality from senescence
is stable or decreasing, thus decoupling it from chronological age.
Various unicellular and multicellular species, including some
vertebrates, achieve this state either throughout their existence or
after living long enough. A biologically immortal living being can
still die from means other than senescence, such as through injury,
disease, or lack of available resources.This definition of immortality
has been challenged in the Handbook of the Biology of Aging, because
the increase in rate of mortality as a function of chronological age
may be negligible at extremely old ages, an idea referred to as the
late-life mortality plateau. The rate of mortality may cease to
increase in old age, but in most cases that rate is typically very
high.The term is also used by biologists to describe cells that are
not subject to the Hayflick limit on how many times they can
divide.Biologists chose the word "immortal" to designate cells that
are not subject to the Hayflick limit, the point at which cells can no
longer divide due to DNA damage or shortened telomeres. Prior to
Leonard Hayflick's theory, Alexis Carrel hypothesized that all normal
somatic cells were immortal.
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