Maximum Life Span of Animals, Fishes and Birds.

[prashantakerkar]

what is the fundamental base reason for why Maximum Life span of Animals, Fishes, Birds vary or differ ?

i.e.

Cat living up to maximum 18 years
Dog living up to maximum 22 years.
Human Being up to maximum 130 years.

i.e why the maximum life span varies from Horse, Tortoise, Cat,
Crocodile, Parrot, Whale, Human Being ?

is it because of cell, hormone, gene, blood etc

OR

is it a combination of all inclusive / exclusive ?



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_%28biology%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximum_life_span

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_expectancy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetics

http://www.cell.com

http://research.jax.org/faculty/harriso ... span1.html

Thanks & Regards,
Prashant S Akerkar

[JackBean]

there is a theory, that each animal has approx. the same number of heart beats, so those, who have faster hearts, die faster

[DocWillow]

there is a theory, that each animal has approx. the same number of heart beats, so those, who have faster hearts, die faster

this is very intriguing. So are are you telling me that people who exercise more die faster....since they have more exercise....

[rihannapark]

I think it’s indeed has something to do with it, reason why it is often called the building blocks of life. Although there are other factors that affect life span (based from one article that I read); it includes genes, cells, food and the environment.

[Papreca]

Great post ! Informative . So sad my cats doesn't live they're approximate years to lived. They just die after 8 years.

[Squirrell]

As far as I'm aware, it's actually mainly related to aerobic respiration. There is some truth in that the faster the heart beat, the shorter the life. This is because the heart is pumping more oxygen around the body, to the tissues and into the cells. Aerobic respiration, as opposed to anaerobic, uses oxygen as well as a monosaccharide (glucose, galactose, fructose etc) to create adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

This does, however, cause the release of free radicals, which can damage the cell nucleus and cause cellular ageing. This happens to all cells in the body, very frequently, and this causes our bodies and the bodies of animals to gradually weaken and ultimately fail. Free radicals can also be the result of excessive UV exposure and toxins, like nicotine, tar, pesticides, pollution, and natural toxins found in our bodies and in food.

As free radicals are essentially just oxygen atoms missing an electron (cation), they can be fought with antioxidants. This is why antioxidants are good for you! Hope this helped.

[everythingbiology]

Just to that, the reason that the free radicals are so damaging is because they are just unstable molecules and so they "steal" electrons from cells so that they become stable. The result is that this leaves the cells damaged and this is how ageing occurs.

[marquitosgm]

Shortly:

I remember to have read about what JackBean says in the first reply here:

http://www.amazon.com/Ecological-Implic ... 052128886X

A must for zoologists, online in google:

http://books.google.es/books?id=OYVxiZg ... ze&f=false

Cheers

[cyanodave]

the reasons why our life spans are the way they are may differ, but the reason they are at these set levels is often a result of reproductive capabilities.

Animals with few predators such as tortoises or animals on secluded islands with few or no predators such as new zealand's tuatara generally have longer life spans because they retain reproductive capability throughout their life. an opossum dies in 3 or 4 years because have so many predators that they can often only life long enough to reproduce. this is explained in 'Genome' the author escapes me but I suggest you check it out

[JorgeLobo]

There are no reasons for either - that is, they did not arrive by a process of logic or reasoning but by evolution.
Cause and effect here are not so obvious. Can you provide more specifics in terms of scientific experimentation rather than hypothetical rationalization of existing phenomena?