Gerontology 436824 225577897 2008-07-14T11:48:27Z Tiddlypeep 7341474 /* Notable biomedical gerontologists */ Added a few missing names {{Refimprove|date=December 2007}} [[Image:Elderly Woman , B&W image by Chalmers Butterfield.jpg|thumb]] '''Gerontology''' (from Greek: γερο, ''gero'', "old age"; and λόγος, ''[[logos]]'', "speech" lit. "to talk about old age") is the study of the [[social]], [[Psychology|psychological]] and [[Biology|biological]] aspects of [[Ageing|aging]]. It is distinguished from [[geriatrics]], which is the branch of medicine that studies the [[disease]] of the elderly. Gerontology includes these and other endeavors: *studying [[Body|physical]], [[Mind|mental]], and [[Society|social]] changes in people as they age; *investigating the aging process itself ([[biogerontology]]); *investigating the interface of normal aging and age-related disease ([[geroscience]]); *investigating the effects of our [[Population ageing|aging population]] on society, including the fiscal effects of pensions, entitlements, life and health insurance, and retirement planning; *applying this knowledge to policies and programs, including a macroscopic (i.e. government planning) and microscopic (i.e. running a nursing home) perspective. The multidisciplinary focus of gerontology means that there are a number of sub-fields, as well as associated fields such as psychology and sociology that also cross over into gerontology. However, that there is an overlap should not be taken as to construe that they are the same. For example, a psychologist may specialize in early adults (and not be a gerontologist) or specialize in older adults (and be a gerontologist). The field of gerontology was developed relatively late, and as such often lacks the structural and institutional support needed (for example, relatively few universities offer a Ph.D. in gerontology). Yet the huge increase in the elderly population in the post-industrial Western nations has led to this becoming one of the most rapidly growing fields. As such, gerontology is currently a well-paying field for many in the West. == Biogerontology == {{main|Life extension}} ''Biogerontology'', is the subfield of gerontology dedicated to studying the [[Senescence|biological processes involved in aging]]. Some have looked to develop theories of the aging process, such as telomere shortening, the free radical theory, and the like. Some skeptics have worked to show that aging is a biological process that we are far from being able to control. Conservative biogerontologists who have only an intellectual interest in the aging process, like [[Leonard Hayflick]], have predicted that the human life expectancy numbers will top out at about 85 (88 for females, 82 for males). ''[[Biomedical gerontology]],'' also known as ''experimental gerontology'' and ''life extension'', is a sub discipline of biogerontology, that endeavors to slow, prevent, and even reverse aging in both humans and animals. Curing age-related diseases is one approach, and slowing down the underlying processes of aging is another. Most 'life extensionists' believe the human life span can be altered within the next century, if not sooner. 'Optimists' have predicted a changing human life span, though this has not yet been demonstrated. Many biogerontologists take an intermediate position, emphasizing the study of the aging process as a means of mitigating [[aging-associated diseases]], while denying that [[maximum life span]] can be altered (or denying that it is desirable to try). ===Notable biogerontologists=== ====Notable biomedical gerontologists ==== * [[Ana Aslan]] * [[L. Stephen Coles]] - a key member of the [[Supercentenarian]] Research Foundation * [[Michael Fossel]] * [[Aubrey de Grey]] - originated the concept and theory of [[engineered negligible senescence]] * [[Steven A. Garan]] * [[Leonid Gavrilov]] - suggested the [[reliability theory of aging and longevity]] * [[David Gems]] * [[Leonard Guarente]] - proposed that [[sirtuins]] mediate the beneficial effects of [[caloric restriction]] <ref>Guarente, L. and F. Picard, Calorie restriction--the SIR2 connection. Cell, 2005. 120(4): p. 473-82.</ref> * [[Denham Harman]] (born 1916) - developed the free radical theory of aging * [[Robin Holliday]] - discovered "Holliday junctions" as homologous recombination; extensive work on testing the error catastrophe theory of aging; putforward the ideas about the role of DNA methylation and epimutations in aging. * [[Thomas E. Johnson]] - discovered long-lived [[mutant]]s of [[Caenorhabditis elegans|C elegans]] * [[Matt Kaeberlein]] - discovered the anti-aging role of [[sirtuins]] <ref>1. Kaeberlein, M., M. McVey, and L. Guarente, The SIR2/3/4 complex and SIR2 alone promote longevity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by two different mechanisms. Genes Dev, 1999. 13(19): p. 2570-80.</ref> and proposed that the [[Mammalian_target_of_rapamycin | mammalian target of rapamycin ]] (mTOR) mediates the beneficial effects of [[caloric restriction]] <ref>Kaeberlein, M., et al., Regulation of yeast replicative life span by TOR and Sch9 in response to nutrients. Science, 2005. 310(5751): p. 1193-6.</ref> * [[Brian_K_Kennedy | Brian Kennedy]] - challenges the hypothesis that [[sirtuins]] mediate the beneficial effects of [[caloric restriction]]<ref>Kaeberlein, M., et al., Sir2-independent life span extension by calorie restriction in yeast. PLoS Biol, 2004. 2(9): p. E296.</ref> instead proposing that the mediator is the [[Mammalian_target_of_rapamycin | mammalian target of rapamycin ]] (mTOR) <ref>Kaeberlein, M., et al., Regulation of yeast replicative life span by TOR and Sch9 in response to nutrients. Science, 2005. 310(5751): p. 1193-6.</ref> * [[Cynthia Kenyon]] - quadrupled the lifespan of specimens of the small worm ''[[Caenorhabitis elegans]]'' by altering a single gene * [[Thomas Kirkwood]] - developed the disposable soma theory, contributing to the [[Evolution of ageing|evolutionary biogerontology]] * [[Marios Kyriazis]] - proposed [[carnosine]] as a general anti-aging supplement, and disapproved the notion that cosmetics and beauty products form part of [[anti-aging medicine]] * [[Linda Partridge]] * [[Durk Pearson]] - mostly self-taught on biology research, published the book Life Extension * [[Suresh Rattan]] - coined the terms gerontogenes and virtual-gerontogenes; is a pioneer of application of mild stress-induced [[hormesis]] as an aging modulatory strategy in human cells; and is the founding Editor-in-Chief of the journal "[Biogerontology]http://www.springer.com/life+sci/cell+biology/journal/10522". * [[Michael R. Rose]] -- bred long-lived [[Drosophila|fruit flies]], a founder of [[Evolution of ageing|evolutionary biogerontology]] * [[David Sinclair]] - proposed that resveratrol slows aging and mimics [[caloric restriction]] by activating [[Sirtuins]] <ref>Howitz, K.T., et al., Small molecule activators of sirtuins extend Saccharomyces cerevisiae lifespan. Nature, 2003. 425(6954): p. 191-6.</ref> * [[Roy Walford]] (June 29, 1924 San Diego, California – April 27, 2004) - an early advocate of caloric restriction * [[Dominic Withers]] ====Notable biogerotechnologists (business/applied)==== * [[Robert Lanza]] * [[Thomas Okarma]] * [[Michael D. West|Michael West]] ====Notable demographic gerontologists==== * [[S. Jay Olshansky|Jay Olshansky]] - a noted skeptic of life-extension claims * [[Jean-Marie Robine]] - validated the [[Jeanne Calment]] case * [[James Vaupel]] - lead the push for the internationalization of demographic data on the human life span ====Notable non-biomedical biogerontologists ==== * [[Leonard Hayflick]] (born 1928) - discovered the Hayflick limit, asserts elimination of aging is neither possible nor desirable * [[Raymond Pearl]] (3 June 1879 - 17 November 1940) == Social gerontology == Social gerontology is a multi-disciplinary sub-field that specializes in studying or working with older adults. Social gerontologists may have degrees or training in [[social work]], [[nursing]], [[psychology]], [[sociology]], [[demography]], gerontology, or other [[social science]] professions. Gerontologists are responsible for [[Education|educating]], researching, and advancing the broader causes of older people by giving informative presentations, publishing books and articles that pertain to the aging population, producing relevant films and television programs, and producing new graduates of these various disciplines in college and university settings. Because issues of life span and life extension need numbers to quantify them, there is an overlap with [[demography]]. Those that study the demography of the human life span are different than those that study the social demographics of aging. ===Notable social gerontologists=== * Dr. Alexis Abramson * Vern Bengston<ref>[http://www.springerlink.com/content/d0vg7003dq11le7j/ SpringerLink - Journal Article<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> * [[James Birren]] * [[Eileen Crimmins]] * Linda George * Pearl German * Erdman Palmore - noted for the International Handbook on Aging * [[Jon Pynoos]] * [[K. Warner Schaie]] * Alan Walker<ref>[http://www.shef.ac.uk/socstudies/staff/staff-profiles/walker.html]</ref> ==History of Gerontology== {{Original research|date=January 2008}} It may be said that the history of gerontology begins with agriculture; prior to this the hunter-gatherer societies that existed could only support a marginal existence: food supply was short; frequent movement a necessity. These and other reasons meant that extremely few reached 'old age'. However, it could be argued that in a society with a life expectancy of 14 (such as 10,000 BC), being '40' was 'old'. Things changed with the coming of agriculture. A more stable food supply and the lack of frequent movement meant that humans could now survive longer, and beginning perhaps around 4000 BC, a regular segment of the population began to attain 'old age' in places such as Mesopotamia and the Indus river valleys. Agriculture didn't simply bring a steady food supply; it also suddenly made older persons an economic benefit instead of a burden. Older persons could stay and watch the farm (or children); make pottery or jewelry, and perform social functions, such as story-telling (oral tradition, religion, etc). and teaching the younger generation techniques for farming, tool-making, etc. After this change, the views of elder persons in societies waxed and waned, but generally the proportion of the population over 50 or 60 remained small. Note that in ancient Egypt, Pharaoh [[Pepi II]] was said to have lived to 100 years old. Certainly [[Ramses II]] lived to about 90; modern scientific testing of his mummy supports the written record. Ancient Greeks valued old persons for their wisdom (some reaching 80, 90, or 100 years old), while old age was devalued in Roman times. During the [[Dark Ages]], negative opinions of the elderly prevailed; old women were often burned at the stake as [[witches]]. However, with the coming of the [[Renaissance]] old age returned to favor in Europe, as persons such as [[Michelangelo]] and [[Andrea Doria]] exemplified the ideals of living long, active, productive lives. While the number of aged humans, and the maximum ages lived to, tended to increase in every century since the 1300s, society tended to consider caring for an elderly relative as a family issue. It was not until the coming of the [[Industrial Revolution]] with its techniques of [[mass production]] that ideas shifted in favor of a societal care-system. Care homes for the aged emerged in the 1800s. Note that some early pioneers, such as [[Michel-Eugene Chevreul]], who himself lived to be 102 in the 1880s, believed that aging itself should be a science to be studied. The word itself was coined circa 1903.<ref>[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=gerontology Online Etymology Dictionary<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> It was not until the 1940s, however, that pioneers like [[James Birren]] began organizing 'gerontology' into its own field. Recognizing that there were experts in many fields all dealing with the elderly, it became apparent that a group like the [[Gerontological Society of America]] was needed (founded 1945). In the 1950s to the 1970s, the field was mainly social and concerned with issues such as nursing homes and health care. However, research by [[Leonard Hayflick]] in the 1960s (showing that a cell line culture will only divide about 50 times) helped lead to a separate branch, [[biogerontology]]. It became apparent that simply 'treating' aging wasn't enough. Finding out about the aging process, and what could be done about it, became an issue. The biogerontological field was also bolstered when research by [[Cynthia Kenyon]] and others demonstrated that life extension was possible in lower life forms such as [[fruit flies]], [[worm]]s, and [[yeast]]. So far, however, nothing more than incremental (marginal) increases in life span have been seen in any mammalian species. Today, social gerontology remains the largest sector of the field, but the biogerontological side is seen as being the 'hot' side.<ref>[http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1131916 Roy Walford and the immunologic theory of aging<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Indeed, some have said that social gerontologists look to the past; biogerontologists look to the future. == Academic resources == * Journal of Applied Gerontology, ISSN: [http://jag.sagepub.com/ 1552-4523] (electronic) ISSN: 0733-4648 (paper), SAGE Publications * Age and Aging, an international journal publishing refereed original articles on geriatric medicine and gerontology. Oxford University Press. 6 issues / 12 months. ASIN: B00006LAGZ ISSN: ==See also== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}} * [[Aging and memory]] * [[Aging Research Centre]] * [[American Aging Association]] * [[Geriatrics]] * [[Gerontology Research Group]] * [[List of basic life extension topics]] * [[Medical Mobile]] and [[Columba]] * [[Methuselah Mouse Prize]] {{col-2}} * [[National Institute on Aging]] * [[Nurses' Health Study]] * [[Oldest people]] * [[Reliability theory of aging and longevity]] * [[Retirement]] * [[Senescence]] * [[Telemedicine]] * [[The Gerontological Society of America]] {{col-end}} == References == <references/> ==External links== *[http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/ University of Southern California Davis School of Gerontology] *[http://www.stopfals.org Fall Prevention Center of Excellence] *[http://www.homemods.org National Resource Center on Supportive Housing and Home Modification] *[http://www.arclab.org/ Aging Research Centre] *[http://www.geron.org/biosection.htm Biogerontologists (Gerontological Society of America)] *[http://www.biologicalgerontology.com/ Biogerontology Resources] *[http://science-library.blogspot.com/search/label/2007 Books on Gerontology published in 2007] *[http://www.careersinaging.com/careersinaging/what.html Careers in Aging] *[http://www.ageing.soton.ac.uk Centre for Research on Ageing] *[http://dmoz.org/Health/Medicine/Medical_Specialties/Geriatrics/Gerontologists/ Gerontologists (DMOZ)] *[http://www.grg.org Gerontology Research Group] Site also has the official tables of known supercentenarians. *[http://www.infogerontologia.com Infogerontologia.com: recursos de gerontologia on-line (spanish)] *[http://biomed.gerontologyjournals.org/ Journal of Gerontology Series A: Biological and Medical Sciences] *[http://psychsoc.gerontologyjournals.org/ Journal of Gerontology Series B: Psychological and Social Sciences] *[http://minnay.com/products/ Gerontology Students Practice Resources] *[http://www.benbest.com/lifeext/aging.html Mechanisms of Aging] *[http://ouroboros.wordpress.com/ Ouroboros Biomedical Gerontology Research News] *[http://www.circuitblue.com/biogerontology/people.html People in Biogerontology] *[http://www.senescence.info/ Senescence.info: An introduction to Biogerontology] *[http://www.vitaeinstitute.org Vitae Institute] non-profit devoted to biogerontological education and under-funded basic research *[http://www.iog.wayne.edu Wayne State University Institute of Gerontology] *[http://www.aoa.gov U.S. Administration on Aging] *[http://www.fli-leibniz.de/index_en.php Leibniz Institute for Age Research - Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI)] *[http://www.springer.com/life+sci/cell+biology/journal/10522] Biogerontology <!-- Categories --> [[Category:Aging]] [[Category:Anti-aging]] [[Category:Branches of sociology (interdisciplinary)]] [[Category:Gerontology|*]] [[Category:Demography]] [[bg:Геронтология]] [[cs:Gerontologie]] [[de:Gerontologie]] [[et:Gerontoloogia]] [[es:Gerontología]] [[eo:Gerontologio]] [[fr:Gérontologie]] [[he:גרונטולוגיה]] [[lt:Gerontologija]] [[nl:Gerontologie]] [[ja:老人学]] [[pl:Gerontologia]] [[ru:Геронтология]] [[sr:Геронтологија]] [[fi:Gerontologia]] [[sv:Gerontologi]] [[tg:Геронтология]] [[tr:Gerontoloji]] [[uk:Геронтологія]]