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The quest for eternal youth is the driving force behind many pop stories and legends. For some, immortality was more than fiction, so they decided to search for it during their lives. However, the pursuits of alchemists were in vain as we have no elixir of life at our disposal. Not that we are aware of, that is.

Instead of waiting for the real-life Lazarus Pit to reveal itself, we could try to understand what is happening with our bodies as we age. Before you look into the data on long-term care and book a retirement home, take a minute to learn what happens to your body over the years.

We start aging, therefore dying, the moment we are born. The building blocks of our body are the trillions of cells. At each given moment, they are dying out, but the dead cells are replaced with new ones instantly.

Replication is the process of making DNA copies. The DNAs are clustered in tight structures which we call chromosomes. Every healthy human has 23 pairs of chromosomes.

This process has its flaws. Each time chromosomes are replicated, they lose a tiny part of the original. Eventually, the renewal process will miss out on some vital parts. At their edges, chromosomes have something we call telomeres. These are meaningless DNA data at the end of chromosomes. Replication will damage relevant data once all telomeres have vanished.

The replication process has its purpose. Old cells left behind can mess up our internal biology. The condition of cells not being replaced with new ones is called cancer. This condition can be fatal. Therefore it could be fair to say that cells dying out are keeping us alive.

The occurrences inside of us are not the only factors of aging. What we eat, our lifestyles, what are our surroundings, and our exposure to the sun all influence the aging process. If a persons' diet consists only of hamburgers and you avoid fruits and veggies, their body will age more rapidly.

Unfortunately, there is no wonder pill or elixir, which will stop the replication of chromosomes without leaving fatal damages to our bodies. But while we cannot stop aging, we can still prevent a youthful appearance.

Physical activities craft and maintain a good body, and the same actions can keep it younger for a couple of decades. There are some cosmetic products that preserve the appearance of youth, but before purchasing an ointment, we should understand our skin types.

Aging might have a bad reputation due to beauty and fashion magazines, but it's far from a bad thing. The replicated chromosomes prevent cancer, and it will be a long time before essential DNA stops renewing. Those who prefer how they looked in their youth can always resolve to cosmetic products and take some healthy changes in their lifestyles.

Read more:

The Science Behind Aging - Science Times