Study Guide Exam 2 1 Know the basic definition of each of the biological theories of aging Somatic mutation theory Over a lifetime a person s body is exposed to external insults from air pollution chemicals in food and water and radiation These insults cause mutations genetic damage to somatic body cells Proposes that harmful or deleterious mutations that is genes that are incorrectly copied will accumulate with advancing age Will lead to an increase in pathological changes in body systems Cross linkage theory Our cells are composed mostly of protein Common proteins found in tendons ligaments bone cartilage and skin is collagen Collagen is the glue that binds cells together by cross links like the rungs of a ladder that connect the two side boards The accumulation of cross linked collagen is responsible for such changes as wrinkles hardening of the arteries and stiffness of joints Wear and tear theory Views the body as similar to a machine like an old car or truck that simply wears out Difficult to test because we don t know what constitutes normal wear and tear Idea of wear and tear implies that a more active organism should age more quickly Yet the opposite is true in humans Free radical theory Free radicals are unstable molecules that are produced when the body transforms food into chemical energy mutation They are a by product of normal cells When free radicals try to unite with other molecules they can damage the cell or cause cell Most changes associated with aging result from damage caused by free radicals Useful for understanding why some individuals are at greater risk of certain diseases than others and for describing part of the aging process It is not in itself a general theory of biological aging Genetic control theory The view that the life span is programmed into the genes Genes do not determine whether an individual gets a specific disease or how long an individual lives Many people with a genetic susceptibility to a specific disease never get it Immune function theory The basic function of the immune system is surveillance It is the body s army constantly on alert programmed before birth to recognize and destroy invaders Based on two discoveries The body s protective immune reactions decline with age An aging immune system loses its ability to distinguish between self and non self Instead the immune system attacks proteins of the body as if they were invaders 2 What is the effect of the loss of cells in the cerebellum When damaged balance and muscular movements are disrupted which can cause falls 3 How do sleep patterns change as people age 4 What are the social consequences of hearing loss 5 What is osteoporosis and what is the cause Osteoporosis occurs when outside walls of the bone become thinner and inner part becomes spongy Symptoms include loss of height back pain curving of upper back or spine Women 4x more likely at risk than men 6 How does sexual functioning change in men and women as they age Women Women go through menopause as their climacteric change This leads to the end of monthly menstrual flow the cessation of ovulation and a decline in the production of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone Men There is no male menopause Some men experience ED 7 Be able to define and explain the difference between fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence Fluid Intelligence Fluid Intelligence refers to reasoning memory information processing skills Involves the ability to deal with novel situations and unforeseen problems The verbal component involves vocabulary arithmetic learned knowledge and comprehension The performance component consists of puzzle solving ability involving blocks and pictures Crystallized Intelligence Based on the information skills and strategies that people have learned through experience Reflects accumulated past experience and socialization Refers to the acquisition of practical expertise in everyday life 8 What is wisdom Wisdom refers to the ability to reason to learn from experience to use good judgment and to use information 9 Be able to define and explain the difference between Clinical depression 1 depressed mood 2 loss of interest in pleasurable activities 3 loss of appetite 4 sleep disturbance 5 fatigue 6 feelings of worthlessness and guilt 7 difficulties in thinking and concentration 8 psychomotor disturbances 9 suicidal notions for at least two weeks Dementia Mental disorders cause by deterioration of the brain Can affect memory personality social functioning cognitive functions and normal activities Alzheimer s disease Common type of dementia Slow onset and involves subtle changes Early sign of Alzheimer s is loss of short term memory Other signs are repetition and confusion Dramatic personality changes Can be withdrawn physically aggressive Alzheimer s patients forget permanently Vascular dementia Result of number of small strokes that eventually impair the brain s functioning Brain damage over time is irreversible Aphasia is damage to the speech and language centers in the brain one of the consequences of a stroke Parkinson s disease A neurological disorder that may occur as early as age 30 but is more often diagnosed in older people In most cases Parkinson s develops slowly over many years Parkinson s is caused by the slow death of nerve cells in the central portion of the brain 10 Know both Apter s and Levinson s stage theories Levinson s Men and women went through adulthood through stages but at different times Beginning at 30 men have a chance to fix things in their life Those satisfied with their life have a smooth transition others who were not would find conflict and try to rediscover who they were In early 40 s men go through midlife transition asking themselves what have they accomplished in life Some who spent more time on their career would shift priorities and focus more on family Apter s Traditional Typical housewife who fulfilled social expectations in midlife became tired of meeting needs Innovative Pioneers in the man s world modeled careers as men do in midlife looked back to see if their career success was worth taking time away from family Expansive Late starter limited in training and education seek radical change in their lives Protestors forced to mature more quickly than social norm try to find a way to gain back their early of others adulthood 11 Understand what was included in the Social Security Act of 1935 and how it has changed through various amendments over the decades The Social