It is always satisfying when the hints developed by epidemiology ae shown in experiments to be true.Some epidemiological observations ( e.g. smoking and cancer of the lung and jumping from the 22nd floor of a building is fatal) stand in their own right.Others point the directionOne such indicator is that starvation reduces the chances of…
Read moreAutophagyAutophagy occurs when cells need to degrade their constituents. This occurs in most normal cells to prevent the accumulation of protein aggregates and defective cellular substructures. During starvation, high temperature, low oxygen, hormonal stimulation or intracellular stress (damaged organelles, accumulation of mutant proteins, microbial invasion) there is activation of signalling pathways that increase autophagy.The enzyme…
Read moreThe ability of individuals to survive without food is well demonstrated by the awful experiences in Concentration Camps and more recently by the Irish Hunger strikers. Women appear to last longer than men and over all the body mass at the outset is a predictor of length of survival. The amount of water available is…
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