The Reason Why Women Live Longer Than Men Essay Example for Free

The Reason Why Women Live Longer Than Men EssayScientists are at last beginning to understand one of lifes enduring mysteries why women live, on average, longer than men. The hot research describes how mutations to the DNA of the mitochondria can account for differences in the life hope of mannishs and effeminates. Mitochondria, which exist in roughly all animal cells, are vital for life because they convert our food into the energy that powers the body.Dr Damian Dowling and PhD student Florencia Camus, from Monash teach of Biological Sciences in the U. S., worked with Dr David Clancy from Lancaster University to uncover differences in longevity and biological ageing across male and female fruit flies that carried mitochondria of different origins. They found that genetic variation across these mitochondria were reliable predictors of life expectancy in males, but not in females. Dr Dowling said the results point to numerous mutations within mitochondrial DNA that coin h ow long males live, and the speed at which they age. He said Intriguingly, these same mutations have no effects on patterns of ageing in females they hardly affect males. All animals possess mitochondria, and the tendency for females to outlive males is common to legion(predicate) different species.Our results therefore suggest that the mitochondrial mutations we have uncovered will generally cause faster male ageing across the animal kingdom. The researchers said the mutations can be entirely attributed to a quirk in the way that mitochondrial genes are passed down from parents to offspring. Dr Dowling said While children arrive copies of most of their genes from both their mothers and fathers, they only receive mitochondrial genes from their mothers. This means that evolutions bore control process, known as natural selection, only screens the quality of mitochondrial genes in mothers. If a mitochondrial mutation occurs that harms fathers, but has no effect on mothers, this mu tation will miscue through the gaze of natural selection, unnoticed.Over thousands of generations, many such mutations have accumulated that harm only males, while leaving females unscathed. The study builds on previous findings by Dr Dowling and his team who check overd the consequences of maternal inheritance of mitochondria in causing male infertility. Dr Dowling added Together, ourresearch shows that the mitochondria are hotspots for mutations affecting male health. What we seek to do now is investigate the genetic mechanisms that males might arm themselves with to nullify the effects of these harmful mutations and remain healthy.