IMMORTALITY: CAN SCIENCE MAKE US IMMORTAL?:

How Close Are Humans to Immortality?                     (S.Ramamoorthy)

All religions have been preaching that death is the ultimate truth. Is it so? If it is, how one species called "Turritoposis dohrni ( type of Jelly fish)" achieved Immortality? How Close are scientists from achieving Immortality? Can we ( Humans) live forever without death? Let see....

                                                  (BBC Documentary on Immortality)

WHAT IS CALLED AGEING?

Our body is made of trillions number of cells.  50 - 70 billions old cells die every day in our body and these are being replaced by New Cells created through the process called Cell Division. As long as, this process ( cell division ) continues, we will be healthy and live forever.

But problem is that cells can't simply divide forever. One Human body Cell can divide maximum between 50 - 70 times only. This is called Hayflick Limit. Beyond this, cell will cease to divide ( This is called Ageing) and eventually dies.

WHY CELL CANT CONTINUE TO DIVIDE FOREVER?

We know that each Human  Cell has 23 pairs of Chromosome ( Group of DNA, Genes, Proteins). These each chromosome is protected at it's end by something called "Telomere" ( Repetive Nucletoide Sequence) which ensures the exact replication of Chromosome ( necessary to pass the genetic information to new cell) during each Cell Division.

For understanding purpose, we can compare the Telomere with the  plastic Tips on the both end of Shoe Lace ( in this case, Chromosome). Without plastic tips on its end, shoe lace will get frayed and it will not stick together.  Like this, exact replication of chromosome in the cell division is not possible without telomearse at its end.

   

But the problem is that length of the Telomere is being shortened during each Cell Division. After approx 50 - 70 cell division, length of the Telomere will reach the critical level which prevents further cell division( since exact replication of chromosome is not possible)  resulting in the ageing process.

HOW TO INCREASE THE LENGTH OF TELOMERE?

Cancer is nothing but unlimited division of cell. It means that cancer cell has already found the solution to increase the length of Telomere which allows cells to divide forever (IMMORTALITY). Enzyme used by Cancer Cell to increase the Telomere is called Telomearse. Embroyic Stem Cell also uses the same method to achieve the unlimited cell division.

Scientists are now researching how to use this Enzyme called "Telomearse" used by cancer cell & Embroyic stem cell to achieve the unlimited cell division ( IMMORTALITY) in normal cells also.But problem is that these enzyme has the potential to turn normal cell to cancerous cell which is the main constraints for the scientists.

IS THERE ANY SPECIES IN THIS EARTH WHICH LIVE FOREVER?

Yes. Process of Bi logical Evolution has successfully created one species called Turritopsis dohrnii, the immortal jellyfish ( one type of Jelly Fish found in Medeterrian Sea and Japan Sea) which is immortal in nature ( but vulnerable to predation, injury and disease). 

Process used by the above species to achieve immortality is called "Transdifferentiation" which allows jelly fish to go back from adult stage to infant stage again ( Age Reversing ) and infant age to adult stage ( Ageing) endlessly.

2008 Hollywood movie titled " The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" starred by Brad Pit was based on this concept only.

OTHER METHODS FOR IMMORTALITY:

A.Calorie Restriction:

Some scientist have found that calorie restriction ( eating Less) is slowing the ageing process and will increase the life span by about 30 % . It has been successfully tested in rats and some humans.

Problem with this method is that It may increase the lifespan but wont achieve immortality.

B.Anti Oxidant:

There is another one theory called "Free Radical Theory of Ageing" which tells that real cause of ageing is " Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)" ( ROS is nothing but highly reactive radical atom / molecule which has unpaired electron in its orbit ) created in our cell during the process of oxidation. These ROS will further create chain reaction which will cause irreparable damage to the DNA and proteins eventually killing cell.

Solution is to take Anti Oxidants ( Vitamin A. E ,C) in our food which will control this ROS and in turn will slow ageing process.

CONCLUSION:

Modern science is just decades away from achieving Immortality. But Big Question is that whether Immortality will be Boon or Curse?