Have you heard about regenerating cells? Do you wonder what happens to the human body as it grows? How do injuries and wounds up? Here is all you need to know about senescent cells.
Without much ado, it is important to know that senescent cells are responsible for cellular growth in the body. At different stages of growth, some cells wear out, some die, some are damaged.
However, one fact is constant – cells are replaced by newer cells regularly. Follow closely to learn more.
What is senescent?
In clear words, senescent is the process of growing old. It is a process bound to happen in every human. Right from birth, the body begins to under senescence.
Senescence explains how the body heals from diseases, wounds, injuries, and other stress conditions that harm the body cells. The body undergoes a process – apoptosis to clear its damaged cells. Although, this happens most times via the immune system. The process of apoptosis occurs till the body cannot remove these damaged cells any longer.
Since the body cannot remove the dysfunctional tissues and cells again, it weakens the immune system and other biological processes slow down. The process of apoptosis is possible by the activities of senescent cells. There have been several efforts by medical researchers to improve human wellbeing and slow down aging by exploring senescence.
What are senescent cells?
Senescent cells are responsible for growth or other cellular replication that happens in the body. They are unique cells that multiply in even when they stop multiplying, they do not die. Rather, they are still in the body and can stimulate inflammation.
They can act like that one bad apple that damages the whole apple in the basket by stimulating inflammation in other damaged cells.
Some senescent cells do not undergo these processes. However, the senescent cells secrete senescent secretome which plays a major role in the cell’s lifespan. Their activities influence embryonic development, wound healing, and childbirth.
What effect does senescence have on the body?
As one grows, there are more senescence cells in the body. The immune systems are not as effective as before and the senescent cells are too. This condition makes an individual unable to withstand illness or stress, recover from injuries or wounds, and even learn new things because the senescent cells can affect cognitive abilities.
Hence, cellular senescence is linked with numerous health conditions that accompany old age. Examples of such include cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, osteoarthritis, or dementia. In addition, other body declines like eyesight, cognitive function, and mobility are related to the effect of senescence cells.
Other situations like body wrinkling and sagging are still under researches to be sure if they are caused by senescence cells. More so, researchers are yet to prove if they are related to cytokine storm which makes COVID-19 intolerable for adults and even leads to their death, unlike young men.
Cells divide as this is a major characteristic of growth. However, a cell is bound to die if it cannot divide anymore. Some cells do not die and they are the origin of cancerous cells. They do not self-destruct but rather cause tumors.
When does senescence begin?
Senescence begins after the body has reached its peak and fully developed. The damage caused by this peak leads to different body situations which are termed aging. Generally, many researchers have proved that age 60 happens to be the benchmark for this.
Science has attempted several ways to improve senescence. However, it has been a hard nut to crack. Nevertheless, there are ways to slow down the process to a very large extent. The ways include;
Consuming a healthy meal
The body needs nutrients that keep the cells nourished and replenish worn-out cells with nutrients. The meal repair, cure, and battle possible damaged cells.
Lowering stress
Reducing stress is essential for the body as it saves the body from long-term damages. Stress or exposure to it secretes cortisol which causes more cellular damage. Stress makes the body age at a shorter lifespan.
Do not expose the body to damaging substances
There are some exposures that can destroy the body’s cells. Although it may be inevitable to prevent exposure to some of these substances, one can still reduce the levels of exposure. Examples of such substances include pollutions, UV lights from the sun, and different toxins.
Regular exercises
Exercises are different from daily physical activities. Exercises have targeted parts of the body that are affected while daily physical activities will only cause stress for the body and speed up aging.
Exercises on the other hand build strong cells in the body – the cells help to resist damage.
Regular body checkup
Many people often ignore body checkups because they only see sickness as the reason to use the hospital. One can even think body checkups attract additional costs. The truth is that maintaining health is less expensive as compared to corrective measures.
There are regular checkups one should carry out as many times as possible in a year. They include blood pressure, weight, and subsequent risk factors. If it can be controlled, such measures should be taken. Do not leave any condition to chance.
Conclusion
Senescent cells are important cells in the body. Their activities cannot be helped because every man will grow old. However, there are ways to check the effects the cells cause on the body. Follow these processes and stay healthy. Never forget that good health is wealth.
