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Our body contains literally trillions of cells. It is absurd to think that among all these cells there will be only a few mutations. Mutations will occur in all
by jostmey 13y ago
Our body contains literally trillions of cells. It is absurd to think that among all these cells there will be only a few mutations. Mutations will occur in all cell types all over the body.
What I find really interesting is that the mortality distribution in Gompertz's law may be predicted using the Euler-Lotka equation. This says that the reason we die is because there is an absence of selective pressure for the individual in a species to live longer (link: http://www.genetics.org/content/156/3/927.full.pdf http://www.genetics.org/content/156/3/927.full.pdf)
- s_baby 13y ago>This says that the reason we die is because there is an absence of selective pressure for the individual in a species to live longer Or there is a selective pressure making sure organisms don't have indefinite lifespans. You need death for a constant stream of sexual reproduction.
- Houshalter 13y agoThe longer an organism lives the more it can reproduce, the more copies of it's genes there will be. Any gene that increases (reproductive) lifespan is strongly selected for.
- datadata 13y agoIt seems like the rate of reproduction rather than total reproductive lifespan is what matters for selection. A longer lifespan at the expense of a lower rate of reproduction would not be selected for.
- Houshalter 13y agoI don't see any reason why this would require that tradeoff.
- samatman 13y agoNot correct, though intuitive. Consider each offspring to be 50% of the genes of the parent. A parent with three children is competing with hir own genetics, and losing.
- Houshalter 13y agoYour reasoning makes no sense. If the parent can live longer they can reproduce more and therefore propagate more of their genes.
- samatman 13y agoIt does. 150% (more than the parent) of the genes have teamed up with a foreign 150% of genes against the parent.