Disposable soma theory

But wouldn t we expect animals to breed faster if faced with a threat to their survival These findings may be no more than an ecological equivalent of the faster rate of bacterial replication in response to irradiation, or our own urge to find a sexual partner in the last few minutes after a nuclear warning. Certainly the evidence is supportive of the disposable soma theory, but it is far from proof. Can the relationship be emulated in the laboratory, with minimal exposure to predators or other life-shorten-ing factors ... 

I am satisfied that the disposable soma theory applies to us. This is good news, in the sense that an obsolete optimum, which has served its purpose, can in principle be modified to a more congenial optimum with a new purpose — to abolish the misery of old age. The disposable soma... 

For many years, the theory of antagonistic pleiotropy dominated the field of ageing, and it is still one of the most prominent theories. There is certainly some truth in it. The theory is not at odds with the disposable soma theory — both are trade-offs, in which an individual s genetic resources are concentrated on reproductive prowess in youth at the expense of health later in life. However, the similarities between the two theories have often led one to be seen as a special case of the other. This is far from the truth. 

The Disposable soma theory of ageing (Kirkwood 1987) included cellular maintenance systems. The amount of oxidatively damaged proteins, which results from the balance between the oxidation and elimination rate of these proteins, can be explained either by increased damage production, decreased elimination, or the combination of both phenomena (see Friguet 2002). 

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