The human body does not remain at the peak of its powers endlessly. A gradual decline sets in after maximum efficiency has been achieved. This normal process of aging occurs due to the complex interplay of physiological, psychological and social factors. Written in simple and lucid language, this book explains why and how every organism which has opted for sexual reproduction must die after performing the reproductive function.
Kalluri Subba Rao (b. 1939) is Professor of Biochemistry at the School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad. On completing his doctorate from IISc, Bangalore, he left for USA for post-doctoral research from 1965 to 1969. He is a Fellow of various medical and neuroscience academies apart from being a member of national and international organisations involved with gerontology. Over hundred of his research articles have been published in Indian and foreign journals and books.
When the National Book Trust, India first approached me for writing a book on aging meant for readers with understanding of science upto class eight, my first reaction was not a very positive one. Why should a topic like aging be discussed, I wondered! But then, I was reminded of a comment by a friend, "We begin to age the minute we are born!" Just as the phenomena of birth, growth and development are taught in schools, it is probably equally important that young students should be familiarised with the science of, the not so welcome, phenomenon of old age and senescence. After all, one of the futures of youth is old age! I have therefore undertaken the task of describing, in a simple uncomplicated language, the process of aging. Though, I must confess, that this has not been an easy task. Old age and senescence are such complicated phenomena that to put them in simple language has meant taking away all the mystic of those events which constitute life and make it sound like a straight-forward and well-understood fact of life.
I have tried my best to overcome the difficulty and make the reading an interesting one, not only for those who have studied science till class eight, but also for those who have no formal background of science, but want to know more. I do hope this book will arouse sufficient curiosity and attention among the readers to the mirac- ulous transformation of a youthful vibrant person to a less competent 'old' one. Aging, after all, is not simply a random event of wear and tear.
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