Do our genes determine how old we get?
Everyone's genetic predisposition has an influence on the ageing process and thus on personal life expectancy. Comparing the lifespans of identical human twins, the influence of genes can be estimated at around 10-15% [Melzer et al. 2020]. Individual lifestyle and external influences play a much more important role in ageing than genes.
In some model organisms, genes are known to have a direct effect on life expectancy. In the worm Caenorhabditis elegans and in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, the inactivation of certain genes even leads to a doubling of life expectancy [Piper & Partridge 2018, Tissenbaum 2015]. However, the fact that such life-extending gene mutations have not become widespread in nature suggests that the negative effects of the gene mutations outweigh the benefits of longevity.
More FAQs on ageing
What is ageing?
How do we age? The hallmarks of ageing
Why do we age?
How to stay healthy in old age?
Can ageing be slowed down?
When does ageing start?
What happens in our bodies as we age?
How can you measure biological age?
What do the terms life expectancy, lifespan, longevity and health span mean?
What is the epigenetic clock?
Do our genes determine how old we get?
Why do women outlive men?
What are Blue Zones?
References:
- Melzer D, Pilling LC, Ferrucci L (2020) The genetics of human ageing. Nat Rev Genet 21(2):88-101.
- Piper MDW, Partridge L (2018) Drosophila as a model for ageing. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 1864(9 Pt A):2707-2717.
- Tissenbaum HA (2015) Using C. elegans for aging research. Invertebr Reprod Dev 59(sup1):59-63.