Uh oh, some of you are in trouble....

From the SMH:

The human brain starts slowing down after the age of 40, according to new scientific research.

US scientists said genes start working less hard after 40, a discovery which may explain why mental functions deteriorate with age.

Researchers at The Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School studied brain tissue from 30 bodies ranging in age from 26 to 106. They studied 11,000 genes.

Within the brains which had passed 40 years of age many genes showed significant changes. Many were damaged and could not properly function and instruct cells to create proteins.

More were found to be functioning at a lower level - including those involved in learning, memory and communication between brain cells.

But some genes were found to be working harder after 40 - those related to DNA repair, antioxidant defence and stress and inflammatory responses.

The scientists believe these genes may have been working harder to compensate for the damaged and poor-functioning genes.

Professor Bruce Yankner of the department of Neurology and Neuroscience at Harvard Medical School, said it was not clear whether the changes were due to lifestyle or genetic make-up.

"But this gives us a starting point because what we've shown is that there's a genetic signature, so to speak, of this ageing process and now we can work to determine how that impacts brain function," he said.

The findings were published in the journal Nature.

Darren,

Since you're only 8 you probably wouldn't know that genes are old hat to many of my generation who have moved onto trakky dacks.

i haven't worn a pair of genes for nearly 15 years now. I tried bathing them in a 14 per cent ethanol solution for some time but to no avail. Sure they would have functioned at a lower level (could't get them done up at the waist). I suppose that is what the article meant about genes working harder as they get older.

Anyway i eventually just left them hanging in the wardrobe until finally I gave them to the Salvos
regards

geoff

See, it took you nearly an hour to come up with that :p

:D :D :D

silentC.. it is obviuos that you.. umm, ahh, what was I going to say??? ohh well have a great day everyone.. :rolleyes: :cool:

Waht rbubihs ! Im' wlel ovre 40 adn thres're nohtign worng wiht my barin !

Quote:

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Originally Posted by silentC

Researchers at The Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School studied brain tissue from 30 bodies

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So thats where the bugger went. :(

Al..... er. no its Al, ...............er, I wish I had a shorter name so I could remember it.

What a load of nonsense...

I've noticed two things since I've started to get older:

1) I am easily distracted and have become more forgetful

2)

easy fixed smidge....just remember where ur going and have swambo remember who u both are......works for me
signed.................um aah oops forgot
:confused:

There's nothing wrong with old age. You get to wrap your own chrissy pressies and you get to meet new people all the time. Sometimes you even forget who YOU are, right CHRISTOPHA? ;)

Dan

Actually, memory loss is no laughing matter. I have quite a bad short term memory, so much so that I don't even bother trying to remember things. People ask me what I'm doing next Friday - I say you'll have to ask my wife. I don't so much live my life as 'attend' it.

SWMPG bought me some memory tablets that are supposed to improve your short term memory. They've got all sorts of herbal stuff in them. Only problem is I can't remember to take them so I've no idea if they work or not. :p

I listened to a gene jockey yesterday who had discovered that feral pigs had learnt how to drive a vehicle becuase new populations were being discovered many hundreds of miles from their ancestors. His alternative theory was that recreational shooters were transporting them for self interest.
Analysis of the DNA is quite simple as it is broken down to letters of the alphabet.
Now if only I could remember what comes after ABC.....

Silentc you are not on your own there with short term memory loss. I have expressed concern over this and people say that I am too busy and pre-occupied with other things. I think they are just being generous.

I've finaly admitted I have a memory problem, and in fact I blamed the grog, but now its obviouse it is because I'm geting old .... now I can get back on the grog and forget about the whole thing (like I have a choice)

This just came throygh on my email and it thought it was fitting for this post.

A couple in their nineties are having problems remembering things, so they decide to the go the doctor for a check-up.
The doctor tells them that they are physically okay, but they might want to start writing things down to help them remember.
Later that night, while watching TV, the old man gets up from his chair.
His wife asks, "Where are you going?"
"To the kitchen," he replies.
She asks, " Will you get me a bowl of ice cream?"
The husband says, "Sure."
She gently reminds him, "Don't you think you should write it down so you can remember it?"
He says, "No, I can remember that!"
She then says, "Well, I'd like some strawberries on top. You'd better write it down 'cause I know you'll forget it."
He says, "I can remember that! You want a bowl of ice cream with strawberries."
She adds, "I'd also like whipped cream. Now I'm certain you'll forget that, so you'd better write it down."
Irritated, he says, "I don't need to write it down. I can remember that! Ice cream with strawberries and whipped cream!" He then grumbles into the kitchen.
After about 20 minutes the old man returns from the kitchen and hands his wife a plate of bacon and eggs.
She stares at the plate for a moment and says, "Where's my toast?"