ABSTRACT
Aging events establish the molecular and cellular contexts required for the development of motor neuron degeneration in Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Aging is a universal and inevitable biological process whose implications for human mortality have long fascinated biologists and artists alike. Aging can be defined as a process whereby cells and tissues of somatic lineage deteriorate with time, becoming progressively more vulnerable to environmental insults, eventually resulting in disease and death. Germline cells are not limited in their ability to divide, because the enzyme telomerase lengthens the telomere with each cell division. Pathologic states, such as oxidative stress, may increase rates of telomere loss. Genetic factors are also related to the aging process. Aging research has made remarkable discoveries in the past 10 years. Identification of genetic alleles that are under-represented in populations of aged individuals should reveal putative risk factors for those disorders.
