ABSTRACT
This chapter is concerned with time-dependent functional decline in various human physiological systems. It provides evidence that using the holistic approach to finding treatments for time-dependent functional loss represents the future of biogerontology research. The chapter describes research showing that old rats exposed to the biological environment of a young animal, parabiosis, have increased function in their muscle repair mechanisms. It argues that the future of biogerontological research will include a greater reliance on the holistic approach, including the in silico models that are important to quantitative biology. The chapter explores the possible changes to adult skeletal muscle over time. It also describes the organization of skeletal muscle and the mechanism of contraction. The chapter discusses time-dependent alterations in skeletal muscle, including the effects of exercise on aging muscle. It examines sarcopenia, an age-related pathological process involving excess loss in skeletal muscle mass.
