Biology of Aging

"If you are teaching or you intend to teach an undergraduate or even a graduate course on biogerontology, then this is the one to use as the text book. Unlike numerous multi-author compilations on various aspects of ageing, this single author book is perhaps the best one to come out with a great potential for becoming a highly useful and popular book....[Biology of Aging] is highly readable and the use of drawings and pictures is extensive and appropriate....I recommend it highly for its value as an introductory textbook in biogerontology."--Biogerontology "It is clear that modulating aging and longevity in the upcoming years will be an important area of scientific research, and this textbook offers a sufficient framework that would be a significant resource for anyone interested in these new directions for the future." -- Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine

Biology of Aging, Second Edition presents the biological principles that have led to a new understanding of the causes of aging and describes how these basic principles help one to understand the human experience of biological aging, longevity, and age-related disease. Intended for undergraduate biology students, it describes how the rate of biological aging is measured; explores the mechanisms underlying cellular aging; discusses the genetic pathways that affect longevity in various organisms; outlines the normal age-related changes and the functional decline that occurs in physiological systems over the lifespan; and considers the implications of modulating the rate of aging and longevity. The book also includes end-of-chapter discussion questions to help students assess their knowledge of the material.

Roger McDonald received his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California and is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Nutrition at the University of California, Davis. Dr. McDonald’s research focused on mechanisms of cellular aging and the interaction between nutrition and aging. His research addressed two key topics in the field: the relationship between dietary restriction and lifespan, and the effect of aging on circadian rhythms and hypothalamic regulation. You can contact Dr. McDonald at rbmcdonald@ucdavis.edu.

Related Titles

Ahmad, S. I., ed. Aging: Exploring a Complex Phenomenon (ISBN 978-1-1381-9697-1)

Moody, H. R. & J. Sasser. Gerontology: The Basics (ISBN 978-1-1387-7582-4)

Timiras, P. S. Physiological Basis of Aging and Geriatrics (ISBN 978-0-8493-7305-3)