Summary of Dr. Andrew Weil's Healthy Aging

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.

Book Preview: #1 We all sense the finiteness of life, and we all fantasize about living forever. We are enthralled by anti-aging medicine, which tells us that we can stop or even turn back the clock.

#2 The Hayflick limit is the number of times a cell can divide before it dies. It varies from species to species, and often correlates with life span. Human cells have a Hayflick limit of about 50 cell divisions, while HeLa cells can divide indefinitely.

#3 The saga of Henrietta Lacks raises uncomfortable ethical and social questions, because she never gave informed consent for her cells to be used in this way. But that is another story.

#4 The telomere is a region of DNA that ends each chromosome. It is the limit of how many times a cell can duplicate itself, and it is the reason why we age and die. The discovery of telomeres and their possible relationship with the maximum life span of organisms has been one of the most important advances in the fields of genetics and biogerontology.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Feb 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669353621

IRB Media

With IRB books, you can get the key takeaways and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

Book preview

Insights on Andrew Weil MD's Healthy Aging

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 5

Insights from Chapter 6

Insights from Chapter 7

Insights from Chapter 8

Insights from Chapter 9

Insights from Chapter 10

Insights from Chapter 11

Insights from Chapter 12

Insights from Chapter 13

Insights from Chapter 14

Insights from Chapter 15

Insights from Chapter 16

Insights from Chapter 17

Insights from Chapter 18

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

We all sense the finiteness of life, and we all fantasize about living forever. We are enthralled by anti-aging medicine, which tells us that we can stop or even turn back the clock.

#2

The Hayflick limit is the number of times a cell can divide before it dies. It varies from species to species, and often correlates with life span. Human cells have a Hayflick limit of about 50 cell divisions, while HeLa cells can divide indefinitely.

#3

The saga of Henrietta Lacks raises uncomfortable ethical and social questions, because she never gave informed consent for her cells to be used in this way. But that is another story.

#4

The telomere is a region of DNA that ends each chromosome. It is the limit of how many times a cell can duplicate itself, and it is the reason why we age and die. The discovery of telomeres and their possible relationship with the maximum life span of organisms has been one of the most important advances in the fields of genetics and biogerontology.

#5

Some nonmalignant cells need telomerase, and they use it in the course of normal growth and development. For example, embryonic stem cells have the potential to grow and differentiate in unlimited ways, and they end up creating new, complete organisms.

#6

Stem cells have the potential to regenerate damaged tissues and organs, and they may be able to treat age-related ailments such as Parkinson’s disease. However, they also have the potential to become fast-growing cancers.

#7

The key to these