(Solved) Physiology of Aging - PDF

Running head: THE EFFECT OF AGING ON NORMAL PHYSIOLOGY OF THE TISSUES
The effect of aging on normal physiology of the tissues
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THE EFFECT OF AGING ON NORMAL PHYSIOLOGY OF THE TISSUES
Table of Contents
Normal physiology of the tissues:...................................................................................................2
Effects of aging on normal physiology of the tissues:.....................................................................3
Treatment:........................................................................................................................................5
References:......................................................................................................................................6

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THE EFFECT OF AGING ON NORMAL PHYSIOLOGY OF THE TISSUES
Normal physiology of the tissues:
By definition, the tissue system can be defined as the organized assortment of inter-
connected cells in the body that perform a similar function within the organism. The tissues
system provides a functional network and joins together to make different organs inside the
body, which in turn performs different functions inside the body (Schanz et al., 2010). The
human body is made of 4 basic types of tissues, and each type of tissue performs a significant
type of function in the body.
Exploring the different types of tissues, the first type that can be discussed in this study is
the epithelial tissues. Epithelial tissues cam be defined as the organized layer of cells that attempt
to cover or line all the different body surfaces, cavities and tubes. The epithelial cells together
form the functional unit of the secretory glands, hence these are also called glandular epithelia.
Exploring on the physiological characteristics of the epithelial tissue, it can be mentioned that
these cells are closely attached to each other and helps in forming the protective barrier. The
epithelial tissue is found in the surface of the skin, the airways, the reproductive tract and the
inner lining of the digestive tract as well. The epithelial tissue represents an interconnection in
the form of semipermeable tight junctions. These junctions help in the tissues acting as the a
protective barrier between the external environment and the organs that they are covering. Other
notable functions performed by the epithelial tissues include, helping in the absorption of water
and nutrients, elimination of waste, and enzyme and hormone secretion (Andersson et al., 2014).
The next type of tissue that can be discussed in this context is the connective tissue, the
fibrous tissue that connects the different parts of the body with each other. This type of tissue is
comprised of two third part intercellular material and one third of cellular components. This

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THE EFFECT OF AGING ON NORMAL PHYSIOLOGY OF THE TISSUES
tissue system is considered to be unique due to the fact that the major part of this tissue is
considered to be the extracellular matrix. On the basis of structural integrity the connective tissue
is of two types, loose and dense. In the basis of functionality they can be classified into cartilage,
bone and blood (Rodier & Campisi, 2011). The connective tissue serves as a framework for the
epithelial tissues providing mechanical support to the body, however, in a fully grown adult in
performs a number of immunological functions as well. In the adult human body, the connective
tissue is derived from the mesenchyme, hence the location of the adult connective tissues are
analogous to their location in the human embryo.
The next type of tissue is the muscular tissue, which is the active contractile in the human
body. In an adult human body there are 3 main types of muscular tissues, cardiac muscle tissue,
skeletal muscle tissue, and smooth muscle tissue. The skeletal tissues are made up of long
striated cells with multiple nuclei, and they perform contraction facilitating voluntary movements
in the body. The smooth muscle tissue is made up of long spindle shaped cells and they help in
propulsion of substances across the internal passageways. Lastly the cardiac muscle tissues are
made up of branching striated cells that are fused at plasma membranes. These tissues help in
blood circulation by generating the constriction for pumping. The fourth type of human tissue is
nervous tissue which comprises of the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system.
The adult nervous tissue is made up of two elements, the neurons and the neurogila. The neurons
are the branching cells, and the size varies in adults from 4 to 100 micrometer. The nerve tissue
helps in transmitting signals from the sensory receptors to effectors (Andersson et al., 2014).

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THE EFFECT OF AGING ON NORMAL PHYSIOLOGY OF THE TISSUES
Effects of aging on normal physiology of the tissues:
Aging has a significant impact on the different structural and functional units of the
human body and all the vital organ systems begin to lose some functions as the human body ages
past the adulthood. According to the López-Otín et al. (2013), all cells tissues and organs of the
human body is affected by the senescence, however, there is a significant variability in the
severity of the effect depending on the genetic makeup and lifestyle choices of the patient. One
of the greatest impact of aging is on the elasticity of the tissues. In most cases, with aging more
and more waste builds up in the tissues. According to the Faber et al. (2011), with the aging
procedure a fatty brown pigment is deposited in the tissues called the lipofuscin, contributing to
decreasing the elasticity of the tissue system. There is a significant effect of aging on the
connective tissue. With aging the connective tissues have been reported to become stiff and lose
the elasticity. The rigidity in the connective tissues, especially the blood vessels become rigid
and lose a part of their functionality. Another very important change in the tissue systems due to
the aging process is lose of permeability in the cell membranes which causes a significant impact
on the oxygen and nutrient availability of the tissues leading to tissue starvation and resultant
necrosis. With aging the ability of the connective tissues to remove the carbon dioxide is also
significant reduced leading to waste deposition in the cells paving way for various cardiac and
renal disorders as well.
Another very common effect of the aging is noticed in the enhanced rate of cellular
atrophy, the tissues start to lose their mass and become lumpy and rigid. The impact of age
derived atrophy is noticed most importantly in the muscular tissues hence the strength and
mobility decreases. The nervous tissue is also considerably effected by the aging process with
the nerve cells losing mass; the neurons lose their original speed to transmit impulses and the

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THE EFFECT OF AGING ON NORMAL PHYSIOLOGY OF THE TISSUES
frequency of the transmitting impulses also decrease and as a result the sensory abilities decrease
with age and the memorizing abilities also decrease (López-Otín et al., 2013).
Treatment:
Aging is a natural process and hence the changes brought forth by the aging cannot be
radically altered by treatment either. However, there can be a few interventions taken to fight the
life altering impact of the aging process and reduce the level of discomfort caused by these
changes. For the muscular atrophy, the elderly can be given the aid of occupational
physiotherapy and mild exercise; it will not only help in reviving the tissues after the atrophy,
but will also help in reducing the rigidity of the tissues. Another very important intervention that
can be used is dietary changes, the addition of antioxidant and fibre based diet can also help
slowing down the process of aging by fighting the action of reactive oxygen species (Masaki,
2010).

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THE EFFECT OF AGING ON NORMAL PHYSIOLOGY OF THE TISSUES
References:
Andersson, R., Gebhard, C., Miguel-Escalada, I., Hoof, I., Bornholdt, J., Boyd, M., ... & Ntini, E.
(2014). An atlas of active enhancers across human cell types and
tissues. Nature, 507(7493), 455.
Faber, J. E., Zhang, H., Lassance-Soares, R. M., Prabhakar, P., Najafi, A. H., Burnett, M. S., &
Epstein, S. E. (2011). Aging causes collateral rarefaction and increased severity of
ischemic injury in multiple tissues. Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular
biology, 31(8), 1748-1756.
López-Otín, C., Blasco, M. A., Partridge, L., Serrano, M., & Kroemer, G. (2013). The hallmarks
of aging. Cell, 153(6), 1194-1217.
Masaki, H. (2010). Role of antioxidants in the skin: anti-aging effects. Journal of dermatological
science, 58(2), 85-90.
Rodier, F., & Campisi, J. (2011). Four faces of cellular senescence. The Journal of cell biology,
jcb-201009094.
Schanz, J., Pusch, J., Hansmann, J., & Walles, H. (2010). Vascularised human tissue models: a
new approach for the refinement of biomedical research. Journal of
biotechnology, 148(1), 56-63.