Why do we die?

[redcom11]

When our human bodies posses the ability to rejuvenate and renew itself (it displays this from the time its born, through youth) why does this process stop at a particular age? What is the purpose of gradual degradation of the body and what is the purpose of death? Which part of science explains this inherent tendency of living things to one day flip a switch and from rejuvenation switch to decay?

 

[Dionysus]

telomeres and cell division: Why do we die of old age? | Yahoo Answers

 

[Dionysus]

Regarding purpose, Ecclesiastes 3 (NASB):

18 I said to myself concerning the sons of men, “God has surely tested them in order for them to see that they are but beasts.” 19 For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity. 20 All go to the same place. All came from the dust and all return to the dust. 21 Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth? 22 I have seen that nothing is better than that man should be happy in his activities, for that is his lot. For who will bring him to see what will occur after him?

 

[redcom11]

telomeres and cell division: Why do we die of old age? | Yahoo Answers

Why did DNA start replicating itself?

 

[HonestJoe]

It isn't a matter of a switch being flipped. The regenerative abilities of cells in multi-cellular organisms seems to degenerate slowly over time rather than suddenly hitting a wall. I don't think it's entirely understood why - maybe a build-up of minor errors in each copy reduces their efficiency.

Death will be generally beneficial at a species level though. A new generations develop and thrive, it would be counter-productive if older generations stayed around using up valuable resources. If the older generations didn't die naturally, they'd likely be killed off by their descendants (directly or indirectly) just as any other weaker species would be.

So, while chronological immortality could be plausible, either as a natural evolution or a man-made development, I don't think it would be in any way a positive step.

 

[redcom11]

Regarding purpose, Ecclesiastes 3 (NASB):

18 I said to myself concerning the sons of men, “God has surely tested them in order for them to see that they are but beasts.” 19 For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity. 20 All go to the same place. All came from the dust and all return to the dust. 21 Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth? 22 I have seen that nothing is better than that man should be happy in his activities, for that is his lot. For who will bring him to see what will occur after him?

I would rather stick to the scientific explanation and reasoning. But thanks all the same.

 

[redcom11]

It isn't a matter of a switch being flipped. The regenerative abilities of cells in multi-cellular organisms seems to degenerate slowly over time rather than suddenly hitting a wall. I don't think it's entirely understood why - maybe a build-up of minor errors in each copy reduces their efficiency.

Question 1: We take the regeneration of our cells for granted. But why in the world should cells regenerate or DNA replicate?

Death will be generally beneficial at a species level though. A new generations develop and thrive, it would be counter-productive if older generations stayed around using up valuable resources. If the older generations didn't die naturally, they'd likely be killed off by their descendants (directly or indirectly) just as any other weaker species would be.

So, while chronological immortality could be plausible, either as a natural evolution or a man-made development, I don't think it would be in any way a positive step.

Is death being "beneficial at species level" a mere by-chance byproduct of death or is the species thinking with a collective consciousness and doing thing that are in its collective good. And what about when billions of years ago the only thing swimming around were long and short strands of molecules, without distinct form. Does our modern understanding apply to these settings as well?

 

[Quintessence]

I know very little about this topic - and honesty you'd be better off researching this question at your local university - but I did go to a seminar within the last year or so about a related topic. It's worth noting that although humans experience a decline in fecundity as they age, this is not the case in many other species. I wish I could remember the speaker's name so I could shoot some of their papers in your direction, but the question is more complicated than the cell division idea. If declining fecundity doesn't limit a species, something else does. There are always limits within a system. Something humans would be wise to think about more.

 

[HonestJoe]

Question 1: We take the regeneration of our cells for granted. But why in the world should cells regenerate or DNA replicate?

There is no "why they should", they just do. Things have just developed to be the way they are. They could have developed in countless other different way but didn't.

Is death being "beneficial at species level" a mere by-chance byproduct of death or is the species thinking with a collective consciousness and doing thing that are in its collective good.

There is no "collective consciousness" so it must be, by definition, a by-product. This at are beneficial to the survival of species obviously tend to propagate because those species survive.

And what about when billions of years ago the only thing swimming around were long and short strands of molecules, without distinct form. Does our modern understanding apply to these settings as well?

Sure, though obviously in different ways due to the different contexts. It's a bit like how the same laws of aerodynamics apply to ship sails and plane wings but produce very different outcomes.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Here is a good site; good question by the way
The aging process - Aging and What To Do About It - blood, body, brain, cure, high, skin, disease, people

Physically, we mature at about 25 to 30, when the body reaches maximum size and strength. Then, body tissues and cells are constantly being rebuilt and renewed. Nutrition, rest, exercise, and stress influence the length of time that the body can maintain a balance between the wearing down and rebuilding of body tissues. When more cells die than can be reproduced, they are replaced by a fibrous, inert substance called collagen . The living process slows down to compensate, and we begin aging; strength and ability start to decline.

But this happens at various intervals. For instance, vision is sharpest at age 25; the eye loses its ability to make rapid adjustments in focus after age 40. Hearing is sharpest at about age 10, then diminishes as you grow older. Sensitivity to taste and smell lessens after age 60.

The decline in strength and muscle ability is long and gradual; there are even gratifying plateaus. At age 50, a man still has about four-fifths of the muscle strength he had when he was 25.

Although physical abilities may decline, mental abilities may actually improve during the middle years, and memory and the ability to learn can remain keen. Dr. Alfred Schwartz, dean of education at Drake University, was asked: “Can a 70-year-old man in reasonably good health learn as rapidly as a 17- year-old boy? “ Dr. Schwartz answered:

Indeed he can—provided he's in the habit of learning. The fact that some older people today are not active intellectually is no reflection on their ability to learn. There is ample proof that learning ability does not automatically decline with age.

Regardless of what you may have heard, organic brain damage affects less than one percent of those over age 65.

But in thinking about physical change, remember that this is just one aspect of aging. Age is determined by emotional and intellectual maturity as well as by chronological years.

Can a person do anything to retard aging?

Most gerontologists feel that the reason more people don't live longer is that they are not willing to follow a regimen of diet, exercise, rest, recreation—coupled with the exclusion of various excesses. And while there isn't anything you can do to set back the clock, you can keep in good health by making sure to have regular physical examinations, sufficient exercise, adequate rest, nutritious food, and a positive mental attitude.



Read more: The aging process - Aging and What To Do About It - blood, body, brain, cure, high, skin, disease, people

When our human bodies posses the ability to rejuvenate and renew itself (it displays this from the time its born, through youth) why does this process stop at a particular age? What is the purpose of gradual degradation of the body and what is the purpose of death? Which part of science explains this inherent tendency of living things to one day flip a switch and from rejuvenation switch to decay?

More info

Changes in the Body With Aging: The Aging Body: Merck Manual Home Edition

We lose control of our DNA at age 55 | ScienceNordic

Why do humans deteriorate with age? It's a biological puzzle

Hope this helps. Now Im depressed

 

[Nietzsche]

When our human bodies posses the ability to rejuvenate and renew itself (it displays this from the time its born, through youth) why does this process stop at a particular age? What is the purpose of gradual degradation of the body and what is the purpose of death? Which part of science explains this inherent tendency of living things to one day flip a switch and from rejuvenation switch to decay?

Why did DNA start replicating itself?

Question 1: We take the regeneration of our cells for granted. But why in the world should cells regenerate or DNA replicate?





Is death being "beneficial at species level" a mere by-chance byproduct of death or is the species thinking with a collective consciousness and doing thing that are in its collective good. And what about when billions of years ago the only thing swimming around were long and short strands of molecules, without distinct form. Does our modern understanding apply to these settings as well?

Look up "entropy" and get back to us.

 

[viole]

When our human bodies posses the ability to rejuvenate and renew itself (it displays this from the time its born, through youth) why does this process stop at a particular age? What is the purpose of gradual degradation of the body and what is the purpose of death? Which part of science explains this inherent tendency of living things to one day flip a switch and from rejuvenation switch to decay?

I suspect that this is caused by a natural energy optimization process.

Evolution dictates that you have to become fit and complex enough to survive and reproduce. This is the meaning of life, basically.

Once this is achieved, and we have managed to support our young progeny, we are basically useless. It is not really worthy to invest energy to make organisms more complex than required by letting them living longer, since chances of dying anyway (for external reasons) are directly proportional to the time we survive.

Ciao

- viole

 

[jonathan180iq]

There are hundreds of millions of lives that remain active inside your body even after the very large machine which helps you maintain consciousness degenerates.

Death is just part of the natural process. If it lives, so it will die.

 

[rosends]

Just for laughs, there is also this

I did not realize that the clip cuts off (no audio at work)

here is the rest

 

[Riverwolf]

When our human bodies posses the ability to rejuvenate and renew itself (it displays this from the time its born, through youth) why does this process stop at a particular age? What is the purpose of gradual degradation of the body and what is the purpose of death? Which part of science explains this inherent tendency of living things to one day flip a switch and from rejuvenation switch to decay?

Sounds more like a "how" than a "why".

I'd expect the biology part of science would be the one that primarily deals in this matter, with chemistry being another one that contributes.

As for the purpose, Death is the Mother of Life.

 

[NulliuSINverba]

When our human bodies posses the ability to rejuvenate and renew itself (it displays this from the time its born, through youth) why does this process stop at a particular age? What is the purpose of gradual degradation of the body and what is the purpose of death? Which part of science explains this inherent tendency of living things to one day flip a switch and from rejuvenation switch to decay?

I dunno. But I hear it has something to do with two ignorant, naked people eating a magical fruit after being deceived by a talking snake.