Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Aging |
AgingAdjective1. Growing old. Noun1. The organic process of growing older and showing the effects of increasing age. 2. Acquiring desirable qualities by being left undisturbed for some time. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "aging" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1880. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Aerospace | In a metal or alloy, a change in properties that generally occurs slowly at room temperature and more rapidly at higher temperatures. (references) |
Biology & Biotechnology | The beginning of ripening, the first change in colour of the berries. Source: European Union. (references) |
Business | An analysis of the elements of individual accounts receivable according to the time elapsed after the dates of billing or the due dates. . . Source: European Union. (references) |
Electrical Engineering | Any persisting change, except failure, taking place in either the forward or reverse resistance characteristics. Source: European Union. (references) |
| The gradual change of characteristics with passage of time. Source: European Union. (references) | |
| The change in operating frequency over a specific time period, typically expressed as a maximum value in parts per million(ppm/yr). Source: European Union. (references) | |
Medicine | A physiological or morphological change in the life of an organism or its parts, generally irreversible and typically associated with a decline in growth and reproductive vigour. Source: European Union. (references) |
Metallurgy | Change in a metal by which its structure recovers from an unstable condition produced by quenching or by cold working. . Source: European Union. (references) |
Mining | A change in the properties of a substance with time. See also:overaging;precipitation hardening. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Senescence is the state or process of aging. The word senescence is derived from the Latin word senex, meaing "old man" or "old age."Cellular senescence refers to a phenomena where isolated cells demonstrate a limited ability to divide in culture. Organismal senescence refers to the aging of organisms.
Organismal aging is generally characterized by the declining ability to respond to stress, increasing homeostatic imbalance and increased risk of disease. Because of this, death is the ultimate consequence of aging.
Genetic and environmental interventions are known to affect the life span of model organsims. This gives many hope that human aging can be slowed or changed. Dietary calorie restriction, by 30 percent for example, extends the life span of yeast, worms, flies, mice, and monkeys. Several genes are known to be necessary for this extension, and modification of these genes is also sufficient to produce the same effect as diet.
Theories of aging
The process of senescence is complex, and may derive from a variety of different mechanisms and exist for a variety of different reasons. Senescence is a universal biological phenomea, at least amongst eukaryotic organisms. Yet the average lifespan within and between species can very greatly. This suggests that both genetic and environmental factors contribute to aging.
Theories that explain senescence can generally be divided between the programmed and error theories of aging. Programmed theories imply that aging is regulated by biological clocks operating throughout the life span. This regulation would depend on changes in gene expression that affect the systems responsible for maintenance, repair and defense responses. Error theories blame environmental insults to living organisms that induce cummulative damage at various levels as the cause of aging (e.g., DNA damage, oxygen radicals, cross-linking).
One potential cause of senescence is the accumulation of mutations in DNA, eventually leading to the progressive loss of key genes. Another is the shortening of telomeres in the process of DNA replication during cell division.
Evolutionary theories
One view is that it is due to a particular DNA programming that has the sole purpose to "clean" Earth from old genes and assure offspring better living conditions through benign mutations.
One possible mechanism may be "senescence genes". Genes which have a deleterious effect on individual's fitness are selected against by natural selection. Mutations in these genes which postpone the deleterious effect of the gene to a later time in individual's life history reduce the effect of natural selection to the gene, because the selection has less time to act on it. If the gene doesn't have a negatgive effect until after the individual has reproduced, the gene may escape natural selection altogether, because when selection starts to affect the gene, it has already propagated to the next generation.
Gene regulation
Lately research on a worm called Caenorhabditis elegans have demonstrated that aging is in part regulated by genes. The worm's short life span can be increased by more than 200 percent through genetic engineering. For example, mutations that affect insulin-like signaling in worms, flies and mice are associated with extended lifespan.
Cellular senescence
Lately the role of telomeres has aroused general interest, especially with a view to the possible genetically adverse effects of cloning. The successive shortening of the chromosomal telomeres with each cell cycle is also believed to influence the vitality of the cell, thus contributing to aging. There have, on the other hand, also been reports that cloning could alter the shortening of telomeres.
Free radicals
It is also suggested that damage caused by free radicals in the body are in part responsible for aging.
Reliability theory
Suggests that paradoxical conjecture that biological systems start their adult life with a high load of initial damage.
Neuro-endocrine-immuno theories
Senescence may also simply be a result of wear and tear overwhelming repair mechanisms. It is also possible that senescence is a mechanism to control the development and spread of cancer; if cells have built-in limits to how many times they can replicate, they must somehow overcome this before they can spread indefinitely.
Misc
Recently, early senescence has appeared as a possible unintended outcome of early cloning experiments, notably in the case of Dolly the sheep.
A set of rare hereditary (genetic) disorders, each called progeria, has been known for some time. Sufferers exhibit symptoms resembling accelerated aging, including wrinkled skin. The cause of Hutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome was reported in the journal Nature in May 2003. This report suggests that DNA damage, not oxidative stress, is the cause of this form of accelerated aging.
Artificially-induced senescence, as a means of control over artificially-created humans, or androids, is a central plot motivation in the renowned 1982 science fiction film "Blade Runner", loosely based on Philip K. Dick's (1968) novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep".
Centenarian is a person who has attained the age of 100 years or more.
Smoking cigarettes accelerates senescence, or leads to premature senescence. Smokers age faster than non-smokers.
See also Advanced adult, Cigarette, and Rejuvenation.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Senescence."
Synonyms: AgingSynonyms: senescent (adj), ageing (n), ripening (n), senescence (n). (additional references) |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | Do you really believe in your wildest dreams that a girl like this could possibly be interested in an aging, Brilliantine, stick-insect like yourself (Fawlty Towers; writing credit: John Cleese; Connie Booth) I figure I'll go downtown once a month, maybe work the hotel lobbies, sell my body to aging divorcees (Ed; writing credit: Steven Joel Kerzner) | |
Lyrics | Your old road is rapidly aging ("The Times They Are A-Changin'"; performing artist: Bob Dylan) To break the spell of aging (Californication; performing artist: Red Hot Chili Peppers) Queen of south beach, aging blues (A Change (Would Do You Good); performing artist: Sheryl Crow) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
Books |
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Periodicals | |||
Theater & Movies | |||
Music |
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | Shown are two old men in shirt-sleeves sitting on a bench outside and are drinking beer. It appears to be summer. This is meant to show the effects of drinking on people and the aging process. Credit: J. Troha (photographer). |  | This oddly shaped object is an aging, Sun-like star near the end of its life. The Hubble ... Credit: NASA. |
 | Gen. Michael E. Ryan, Air Force chief of staff, told members of Congress Sept. 27, the Air Force needs $20 to $30 billion a year to solve its readiness challenges. He cited operations tempo, past underfunding of spares, aging infrastructure and aircraft a. |  | O. G. Shaver relaxes in one of the relciner chairs at the Ashe Center for the Aging in Jefferson, NC. Credit: USDA. |
 | Gladys Hill works on a quilt in the recreation area of the Ashe Center for the Aging in Jefferson, NC. Credit: USDA. |  | Medical attention for the aging population ... / WHO p. Credit: National Library of Medicine; photo by Homer Page.. |
 | Trace Metals, Aging and Alzheimer Disease / Sponsored by: American Association of Retired Persons, National Institute Aging. Credit: National Library of Medicine. |  | Barrels of perique tobacco during process of aging. Perique tobacco is raised in one parish in Louisiana, and this is the only place in the world where this tobacco is raised. Saint James Parish, Louisiana. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Images of aging in film. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | New views on aging : lecture series, Fall, 1979. Credit: Library of Congress. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
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| "Country Road" by Paige Foster Commentary: "An aging billboard in the distance, next to a midwestern country road." |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. |
| Author | Quotation |
Daniel Francois Esprit Auber | Aging seems to be the only available way to live a long life. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Title | Author | Quote |
Grapes of Wrath | Steinbeck, John | He looked up at the aging, graying man on the truck |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | Dry mouth is not a normal part of aging. (references) | |
The most common type is related to aging. (references) | ||
Yet, it is not an inevitable part of aging. (references) | ||
Business | Mexico has an aging population. (references) | |
PIA will also have to replace it aging fleet of Fokker F-27 aircraft. (references) | ||
The Polish Air Force is grappling with rapidly aging Soviet-era aircraft. (references) | ||
Civil Liberties | Greece | Under a 1952 educational protocol, Greece and Turkey may exchange annually 35 teachers on a reciprocal basis for service in Istanbul and Thrace; however, due to the reduced needs of the small and aging Greek population in Istanbul, Greece has limited the exchanges to 16 teachers per country. (references) |
Economic History | Norway | Norway's population is aging, increasing the need for medicines. (references) |
Chile | Chile's vineyards continue to expand, creating demand for oak casks for aging wine. (references) | |
Human Rights | Latvia | An aging and time consuming judicial process, the lack of plea-bargaining, and a shortage of judges have overloaded the courts to the point where the average case takes 2 years to reach judicial review. (references) |
Political Economy | Austria | The generations that recall these events, however, are aging. (references) |
FINLAND | Second, with the population aging, labor supply is set to decline in the next decade, correspondingly weakening the financial base by increasing outlays for social security and pensions. (references) | |
Trade | China | Nonetheless, these reforms have been difficult and often painful for certain constituencies, particularly in the aging industrial sector and heavily protected agricultural sector. (references) |
Worker Rights | Ukraine | Lax safety standards and aging equipment caused many serious accidents, resulting in approximately 14,000 work-related injuries for the first half of the year. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| Speaker | Phrase(s) |
Art Linkletter | The good things about aging are you become more tolerant and more loving, more caring because you've been bumped around. You've had some troubles and you know how tough life can be. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Speaker | Term | Phrase(s) |
Jimmy Carter | 1977-1981 | We have a steadily aging population and, as a result, the biggest single increase in the Federal budget is the rising cost of retirement programs, particularly social security. |
George Bush | 1989-1993 | I myself have sometimes thought the aging process could be delayed if it had to make its way through Congress. |
Bill Clinton | 1993-2001 | Record numbers of Americans are providing for aging or ailing loved ones at home. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| "Aging" is generally used as an adjective (general or positive) -- approximately 51.85% of the time. "Aging" is used about 54 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Adjective (general or positive) | 51.85% | 28 | 65,706 |
| Lexical Verb (-ing form) | 31.48% | 17 | 85,106 |
| Noun (singular) | 14.81% | 8 | 124,375 |
| Noun (proper) | 1.85% | 1 | 339,140 |
| Total | 100.00% | 54 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
Expressions using "aging": accelerated aging ♦ aging body ♦ aging list ♦ aging rate ♦ Cell Aging ♦ crystal aging ♦ developmental concept of aging ♦ Erythrocyte Aging ♦ heat aging ♦ overstrain aging ♦ premature aging ♦ Skin Aging ♦ transistor aging ♦ two steps aging. Additional references. | |
| Hypenated Usage | |
Ending with "aging": dam-aging. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Language | Translations for "aging"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Albanian | të pjekurit (ageing), stazh (ageing, attachment, clerkship, experience, probation). (various references) | |
Arabic | شيخوخة (caducity, old age, senility, sunset). (various references) | |
Bulgarian | състаряване, остаряване (ageing, growing old, obsolescence, obsolescense), отлежаване (ageing, seasoning). (various references) | |
Chinese | 老化. (various references) | |
Danish | aldring (ageing), aeldning (ageing), veraison (early maturity, veraison), transistoraeldning (ageing, transistor ageing, transistor aging), modning (ageing, early maturity, fattening(to marketable quality), maturation, maturing, mellowing, ripening, slow fermentation, veraison), lagring (saving, seasoning, slow fermentation, storage, storing), glasindustri (ageing, maturing). (various references) | |
Dutch | aging (slow fermentation), vruchtkleuring (early maturity, veraison), veroudering van een transistor (ageing, transistor ageing, transistor aging), veroudering van een kristal (ageing, crystal ageing, crystal aging), veroudering (ageing), verouderen (age), rotten (putrefy, rot), rijping (ageing, early maturity, maturation, mellowing, ripening, slow fermentation, veraison). (various references) | |
Finnish | ikääntyminen (ageing). (various references) | |
French | vieillissement (ageing). (various references) | |
German | Alterung (ageing), altern (age, ageing, get older, mature, olden). (various references) | |
Greek | γηράσκων (senescent), γήρανση κρυστάλλου (ageing, crystal ageing, crystal aging), γήρανση του τρανζίστορ (ageing, transistor ageing, transistor aging), γήρανση (age hardening, ageing), βραδεία ζύμωση (slow fermentation), ωρίμανση (maturation), ζωή (being, life, living, spirit), Γήρανση (ageing). (various references) | |
Hebrew | התישנות (becoming old, desuetude, falling into disuse, obsolescence, prescription), הזדקנות (senescence, sinility). (various references) | |
Hungarian | korosodó (elderly). (various references) | |
Indonesian | penuaan, memeram. (various references) | |
Italian | invecchiamento (ageing). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 老け , ウロン酸 (ace, acre, age, age shooter, age-group, ageing, ageism, agency, agent, agism, ether, someone who is overly concerned with status. Can be used enviously with reference to someone of real accomplishment., undine, uronic acid), 初老 (age 40, middle-aged). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | しょろう (age 40, fatigue, illness, middle-aged), ふけ (dandruff), エージング (ageing). (various references) | |
Korean | 노후화. (various references) | |
Pig Latin | agingay.(various references) | |
Portuguese | envelhecimento (age hardening, ageing, aging rate, burn in, burn-in, maturation, maturing, souring). (various references) | |
Russian | старение стареющий, созревание (maturation), выдержка (curing, excerpt, exposition, exposure, grit, mettle, moderation, sangfroid, time exposure, time-exposure), облагораживание (ennoblement). (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | starenje (ageing), ostareo (aged, old). (various references) | |
Spanish | envejecimiento (ageing). (various references) | |
Swedish | transistoråldring (ageing, transistor ageing, transistor aging), senescens (ageing), åldring (ageing, maturing, mellowing, transistor ageing, transistor aging), åldrande (ageing, obsolescence, senescent). (various references) | |
Turkish | yaşlanma (ageing, anointment), yaşlanan (senescent), kocayan, ihtiyarlayan (senescent), ihtiyarlama (ageing, getting old), eskime (ageing, becoming old, obsolescence, wear). (various references) | |
Ukrainian | старіння (ageing, obsolescence, obsoletion, senescence), дозрівання (ageing, maturation). (various references) | |
Vietnamese | sự hoá già (ageing). (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | vetulae, vetulus. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "aging": agings. (additional references) | |
Words ending with "aging": advantaging, antiaging, arbitraging, assuaging, asswaging, averaging, badinaging, bandaging, barraging, cabbaging, caging, camouflaging, collaging, comanaging, damaging, decoupaging, disadvantaging, discouraging, disengaging, disparaging, encaging, encouraging, endamaging, engaging, enraging, ensilaging, envisaging, foraging, gaging, garaging, hemorrhaging, homaging, imaging, incaging, leveraging, managing, massaging, messaging, micromanaging, mismanaging, mispackaging, mispaging, montaging, mortgaging, outraging, overencouraging, overmanaging, overpackaging, packaging, paging, passaging. (additional references) | |
Words containing "aging": damagingly, discouragingly, disparagingly, encouragingly, engagingly, imagings, pagings, ragingly, stagings. (additional references) | |
| |
"Aging" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Abiang, abigne, abin, abing, Abiog, afin, agag, agi, agien, agin, agina, agine, agion, agn, Agni, agong, agrin, ahing, Aigun, ajin, aling, anging, aring, aving, Azin, azing, egin, jagin, qaing. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "aging" (pronounced ā"jing) |
| 4 | ā" j i ng | disengaging, engaging, enraging, gauging, paging, raging, staging, waging. |
| 3 | -j i ng | arbitraging, acknowledging, alleging, arranging, avenging, averaging, besieging, bridging, bulging, challenging, changing, charging, converging, cringing, damaging, discharging, discouraging, dislodging, disparaging, diverging, divulging, dodging, dredging, edging, emerging, encouraging, enlarging, exchanging, fledging, foraging, forging, fudging, gouging, grudging, hedging, hemorrhaging, imaging, indulging, infringing, judging, leveraging, lodging, lounging, lunging, managing, merging, messaging, micromanaging, mischarging, mismanaging, mortgaging, nudging, obliging, outraging, overcharging, packaging, pillaging, pledging, plunging, presaging, purging, rampaging, ranging, ravaging, rearranging, recharging, repackaging, resurging, rummaging, salvaging, savaging, scavenging, scrounging, shortchanging, splurging, surging, trudging, unchanging, urging, verging. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-g-g-i-n" | |
-1 letter: agin, gain, gang, giga. | |
-2 letters: ain, ani, gag, gan, gig, gin, nag. | |
-3 letters: ag, ai, an, in, na. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-g-g-i-n" | |
+1 letter: ageing, agings, caging, gaeing, gaging, gaming, gaping, gating, gazing, gingal, paging, raging, waging. | |
+2 letters: ageings, angling, argling, arguing, badging, bagging, banging, barging, cadging, danging, fadging, fagging, gabbing, gabling, gadding, gaffing, gagging, gaining, gaiting, galling, gamings, gamming, ganging, ganglia, gaoling, gapping, garbing, garring, gashing, gasking, gasping, gassing, gasting, gauging, gauming, gawking, gawping, gearing, gigaton, gingall, gingals, gingham, gingiva, glaring, glazing, gnawing, goading, goaling, gracing, grading, grating, graving, graying, grazing, hagging, hanging, imaging, jagging, lagging, naggier, nagging, pagings, panging, parging, ragging, ranging, sagging, signage, staging, swaging, tagging, tanging, unaging, wagging, zagging. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Images: Slideshow 7. Images: Photo Album 8. Images: Digital Art | 9. Quotations: Familiar 10. Quotations: Fiction 11. Quotations: Non-fiction 12. Quotations: Spoken | 13. Quotations: Speeches 14. Usage Frequency 15. Expressions 16. Expressions: Internet | 17. Translations: Modern 18. Translations: Ancient 19. Derivations 20. Rhymes | 21. Anagrams 22. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
