ABSTRACT
A number of investigators believe that metabolism of that precursor protein, via the gradual aggregation and deposition of a derivative peptide, ß-amyloid, is of seminal importance in the pathogenesis of the most important neurodegenerative process of aging human subjects, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), perhaps in connection with the generation of oxidative damage to neuronal cells. Aging only begins after the organism has reached sexual maturation, peak physiological fitness, and an adult size or stature. It is a challenge for the gerontologist to discover how underlying basic mechanisms of aging set the stage for the emergence of these numerous diseases of aging. It is not easy to differentiate between processes that merely reflect the passage of chronological time and processes that reflect intrinsic biological aging. The evolutionary theory of aging also provides some improved understanding of why human beings are so susceptible to AD.
