Since ancient times, man has been worried about the question of life and death - the great sages of the past, alchemists and sorcerers tried to penetrate the secret of eternal youth. However, human life sooner or later ends, and this process is provided by nature itself. At a certain point, age-related changes begin, which ultimately lead to death.
Ancient ideas of immortality
Even in ancient times, people dreamed of becoming immortal and gaining a long life without disease. For this, the priests and healers were searching, making up various recipes for eternal youth. Components such as mummy, incense, certain foods, and even mercury were used. Ancient legends of different peoples tell of a magical substance, using which the Gods have always remained young and lived forever. In ancient Greece, this substance was called ambrosia, in Iran - haoma, in India - amrita. According to legend, ordinary mortals were prohibited from accessing this divine nectar. However, despite this, people continued to search for a recipe for eternal youth. In the Middle Ages, alchemists were actively involved in this topic, trying to isolate a magical substance from gold. In their opinion, it is this eternal metal, not susceptible to corrosion, that contains a certain component,on the basis of which you can make an elixir of immortality. According to legend, Cleopatra was even able to taste a similar elixir made for her by the priests. Nevertheless, it is no longer possible to find out how effective he was, since the queen subsequently committed suicide.
Science is ahead of magic
Today, the problem of aging is dealt with by academic science. For this, studies of the gene apparatus are carried out in order to identify the genes responsible for starting the aging process. Several such genes have already been identified, and there are even methods that may allow them to be "turned off", but experiments are so far carried out only on mice.
In Japan, research is being carried out in the field of cryobiology. There is an assumption that if a person's body temperature is lowered even by 1 degree, then the duration of his life will increase by about 20 years.
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Much attention is also paid to the study of stem cells. They are unique because they are not subject to aging. Moreover, only these cells can transform into any tissue. The technology is already available, with the help of which it is possible to artificially grow any organs from stem cells. It should be noted that rejuvenation with stem cells still cannot give a long-term result and lead to real immortality. This method allows you to obtain a rejuvenating effect for a certain period.
Also recently, in the laboratory, a method was tested that allows you to literally stop the aging process. The work was carried out with telomeres, the ends of chromosomes. During the division of chromosomes, these areas are gradually shortened, and as a result, this leads to aging and cell death. Scientists have found a compound that will restore the original telomere length, which will ultimately lead to rejuvenation of the body and stop aging. This enzyme is called telomerase. So, working with the genes of mice that trigger the aging process, scientists managed to significantly extend their life by introducing telomerase. According to the researchers, this method will help increase the duration of human life by 20-30 years. However, this substance cannot be synthesized artificially - it is contained only in the cells of the fetus,therefore, human experimentation is prohibited. Another source of telomerase is cancer, but this method is also not suitable when working with people, as it leads to the formation of cancer cells.
In addition, nanotechnology is a promising area in the search for a cure for immortality. It is believed that with their help it will be possible to block the P 16 gene, which determines how long the telomeres of the cell will live. Already today there are certain developments that in the future will make it possible to achieve a significant increase in the life of people.
Immortal organisms
There is evidence in the world that some organisms can exist, if not forever, then for a very long time. So, it became known that some cancer cells can live and exist in an artificial environment, and their life is unlimited. However, they cannot yet be used to increase the life of a person.
The Turritopsis nutricula jellyfish is a truly unique creature, as it can live forever if it does not become food for other inhabitants of the ocean. This jellyfish has the ability to rejuvenate after mating, and the process can occur an unlimited number of times. This is due to the fact that the cells of a given creature can freely transform from one species to another. There is one more creature - a freshwater hydra polyp, whose lifespan is also practically unlimited.
Scientists are conducting research on these unique species in order to reveal the secret of their immortality, which ultimately can help people achieve immortality.