At 85, she took up fencing. In her hundreds, she was still pedaling her bicycle through the sun-drenched streets of Arles, thanking well-wishers for her birthday greetings. 22 years later, the same woman, Jeanne Calment, is still alive, having outlived everyone born in the 19th century. So, what was different about her, you ask? The answer might just lie in tiny caps at the ends of your chromosomes called telomeres.For years, we've accepted aging as an unstoppable force, like taxes....
Why Telomere’s Matter
How old are you? And how old is your body? Yes, those are two different questions. You see, your cells might be aging faster than you are! Say you see two women, both 50 years old, but one looks vibrant while the other appears haggard and moves as if in pain. What's the difference? Simple, one’s cells have aged faster than the other. More specifically, the difference is in their telomeres. These tiny caps at the ends of our chromosomes...
The Repair Kit of Telomeres
The story of telomerase begins with one of our authors, Elizabeth, peering through a microscope at some pond scum. Yes, you read that right - pond scum. The one called Tetrahymena, a single-celled organism. Who knew pond scum would change our understanding of aging! Liz noticed something strange about these tiny creatures. Their telomeres were growing. This was shocking! Why? See, telomeres are the special sequences at the ends of our chromosomes, as we said earlier. Chromosomes are long strands...
Telomerase Killer
Like any good story, the story of telomerase has a villain. Enter stress! The study on stressed-out moms caring for sick kids kick started research on how stress affects aging. But before you start panicking about every stressful moment in your life, hang on. Not all stress is created equal, and it turns out our telomeres know the difference. Enter the concept of the dose-response relationship. Short-term stress dose, like cramming for an exam or preparing for a big presentation,...
Destructive Thinking Patterns
Stress is… stressful. It’s irritating. It makes you want to do anything just to avoid feeling it. And this ‘anything’ isn’t always healthy. Most of the times, our minds fall into destructive thinking patterns to deal with stress. Would you be surprised if we told you that these thinking patterns negatively affect Telomeres? We’re hoping you saw that coming. So, which thinking pattern do you fall into? Is it cynical hostility? Do you often feel high anger and frequent thoughts...
Healthy Lifestyle Means Healthy Telomeres
We’re not exaggerating when we say everything you do is affecting your telomerase. EVERYTHING. Your whole lifestyle, especially your sleep, can keep you younger - or older - than your years.You might think skimping on sleep is no big deal, but your telomeres beg to differ. Studies show that people who get less than seven hours of sleep tend to have shorter telomeres. You’re literally aging faster just by staying up late! The authors cite the example of Maria. She...
Telomeres and Nutrition
Ever wondered if that slice of pizza could be chatting with your DNA? Well, not literally, but the food on your plate has a surprising connection to telomeres. They care about what you eat! So in a way, your fork becomes a tool for cellular health. Heh! First things first: your telomeres aren't too fussed about the number on your weighing scale (unless it’s belly fat). *surprised Pikachu meme face* Turns out, what really matters is your metabolic health. That's...
Your Environment and Your Telomeres
So! We have the telomeres, quietly influencing your health based on EVERYTHING, right? Other than sleep, exercise, food and stuff, they’re also influenced by where you live, who you hang out with, and what chemicals you encounter. Fascinating, to say the least! Take your neighborhood, to begin with. Living in a place where you're constantly looking over your shoulder? That's not great for your telomeres. Just ask the Elissa from her Yale days who walked home late at night everyday...
Generational Impact on Telomeres
If we had to sum this all up, we’d tell you this: it’s not just the present; your past shapes your cellular future, too!!! You're not just you, y’know. You're a living time capsule, carrying messages from your past and sending them into the future. No kidding, your telomeres are affected by everything from your great-grandma's stress levels to your own childhood trauma. We promised you Liz’s pregnancy story. Let's start with that.When Liz found out she was pregnant, she...
Chapter 11
Details coming soon.
Summary
Let's wrap this up: Telomere science is shouting at us about how not caring for our cellular aglets is gonna cost us big time down the road. It's not just about you taking care of yourself, though that's a start. It’s about making waves of good vibes, helping others, and building stronger communities. It's about connecting and making a difference. So, you inspired, or should we go on?
More knowledge in less time
The Art of Community
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
About the Author
Elizabeth Helen Blackburn (born 26 November 1948) is an Australian-American Nobel laureate who is the former president of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.[2] In 1984, Blackburn co-discovered telomerase, the enzyme that replenishes the telomere, with Carol W. Greider. For this work, she was awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, sharing it with Carol W. Greider and Jack W. Szostak, becoming the first Australian woman Nobel laureate.
More on: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Blackburn
Thank you for registering with Storise.
Your journey with books and ideas begins now, anytime, anywhere.
You can now use your registered email to log in to the app.
.png){kind=icon}
