According to poet Ralph Waldo Emerson, “The surest poison is time.

” In fact, biology
confirms that many functions of the body decline with age. All the cells, tissues, and
organs are affected by senescence, with noticeable variability between individuals owing
to different genetic makeup and lifestyles. The outward signs of aging are easily
recognizable. The skin and other tissues become thinner and drier, reducing their
elasticity, contributing to wrinkles and high blood pressure. Hair turns gray because
follicles produce less melanin, the brown pigment of hair and the iris of the eye. The face
looks flabby because elastic and collagen fibers decrease in connective tissue and
muscle tone is lost. Overall height decreases as the bones lose calcium and other
minerals. With age, fluid decreases in the fibrous cartilage disks intercalated between the
vertebrae in the spine. Joints lose cartilage and stiffen. Many tissues, including those in
muscles, lose mass through a process called atrophy. Lumps and rigidity become more
widespread. As a consequence, the passageways, blood vessels, and airways become
more rigid. The brain and spinal cord lose mass. Nerves do not transmit impulses with
the same speed and frequency as in the past. Some loss of thought clarity and memory
can accompany aging. More severe problems are not necessarily associated with the
aging process and may be symptoms of underlying illness.

Inflammation is the standard, initial response of the body to injury. Whether biological,
chemical, physical, or radiation burns, all injuries lead to the same sequence of
physiological events. Inflammation limits the extent of injury, partially or fully eliminates
the cause of injury, and initiates repair and regeneration of damaged tissue. Necrosis, or
accidental cell death, causes inflammation. Apoptosis is programmed cell death, a
normal step-by-step process that destroys cells no longer needed by the body. By
mechanisms still under investigation, apoptosis does not initiate the inflammatory
response. Acute inflammation resolves over time by the healing of tissue. If inflammation
persists, it becomes chronic and leads to diseased conditions. Arthritis and tuberculosis
are examples of chronic inflammation. The suffix “-itis” denotes inflammation of a specific
organ or type, for example, peritonitis is the inflammation of the peritoneum, and
meningitis refers to the inflammation of the meninges, the tough membranes that
surround the central nervous system
  Alzheimer's is an irreversible brain disease that gets worse over time. It is
the most common cause of dementia.
 The disease erodes the ability to remember, think, and perform simple
tasks, until people with Alzheimer's can no longer care for themselves.
 The recent research reveals how, in brain tissue affected by Alzheimer's
disease, toxic beta-amyloid impairs synapses by reducing the activity of
cofilin 1 protein in dendritic spines.

The death of CD4 T cells during HIV infection has generally been attributed to
plain old apoptosis, or programmed cell death. Problem is, most studies have
focused on active cells in the blood, which are “productively infected” by HIV,
meaning that the virus has integrated with host-cell genome and can make copies
of itself. In a 2010 study, Greene and his colleagues showed that 95 percent of
CD4 T cells in lymphoid tissue, by contrast, are bystander cells that are “abortively
infected”—the virus penetrates but can’t integrate or replicate. To better
understand HIV pathogenesis, Greene sought to figure out how this particular
population of immune cells dies during HIV infection.

3.
A rare disorder in which the body's immune system produces antibodies that
mistakenly destroy red blood cells, platelets and sometimes certain white blood
cell known as neutrophils. ... The premature destruction of red blood cells
(hemolysis) is known as autoimmune hemolytic anemia or AIHA.

In aplastic anemia, something either destroys the stem cells or drastically

changes the environment of the bone marrow so that the stem cells can't develop
 properly. Several factors can cause this problem, including: Exposure to radiation
(radiation sickness) Chemotherapy.

5.

A painful, degenerative joint disease that often involves the hips, knees, neck,
lower back, or small joints of the hands. ... In RA, these enzymes destroy the
linings of joints. This causes pain, swelling, stiffness, malformation, and reduced
movement and function.

6.

This type is caused by autoimmune diseases, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
The body's immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys platelets. If the exact cause
of this condition isn't known, it's called idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.

A disorder in which red blood cells are destroyed faster than they can be made.
The destruction of red blood cells is called hemolysis. Red blood cells carry oxygen to
all parts of your body. If you have a lower than normal amount of red blood cells, you
have anemia.

Killer-T cells have the ability to recognize and destroy infected cells in the
body. ... The production of autoantibodies in people with lupus and other
autoimmune diseases causes the immune system to target the body's own cells
for destruction.
9.

Leukemia is cancer of the body's blood-forming tissues, including the bone marrow
and the lymphatic system. Many types of leukemia exist. Some forms of leukemia are
more common in children. Other forms of leukemia occur mostly in
adults. Leukemia usually involves the white blood cells

10 .

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder that chiefly affects movement

control. Parkinson's disease destroys cells in a region of the brain known as the
substantia nigra. The nerve cells in this region communicate by releasing a chemical
messenger called dopamine