23 - Late Adulthood:
Biosocial Development
Age 65 +
Prejudice and predictions

Ageism
◦ Judging people only on the basis of their
chronological age
 Any age
 Can become a self-fulfilling prophecy

Elderspeak
◦ Demeaning way of speaking to older adults
Gerontology and Geriatrics

Gerontology
◦ Scientific study of old age

Geriatrics
◦ Medical specialty
Demography

Study of population
Demographic shift
More older people & fewer younger
people
 Centenarians

◦ 100 years or more
◦ Fastest-growing age group

Demographic pyramid (age-sex pyramid)
◦ Changing from triangle to rectangle or square
 People are living longer
 Fewer babies being born
Aging and disease
Primary and secondary aging

Primary
◦ Universal and irreversible physical changes
◦ No specific physical illness, body just wears
out

Secondary aging
◦ Specific physical illness
◦ Become more common with aging
High blood pressure and
cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular disease
◦ Leading cause of death in men and women

Six risk factors for cardiovascular disease:
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
Diabetes
Smoking
Abdominal fat
High blood pressure
Lack of exercise
High cholesterol
High blood pressure is also effected by
◦ Age and genes
Compensating for age

More sleep
◦ More sleep difficulties
 Take longer to fall asleep

Drive more slowly, not at night, or not at
all
Compression of morbidity

People are ill before dying a shorter
period of time
◦ Better lifestyle, medicine, and technological
aids
Osteoporosis
“Fragile bones”
 Bones become more porous

How are senses affected?
Taste, smell, touch, and hearing are
impaired
 Technology helps

◦ Visual problems
 Brighter lights, glasses
◦ Hearing problems
 Hearing aids
Theories of aging
Wear and tear

Body just wears out
Genetic clock

Changes in DNA that regulates aging,
cellular reproduction and repair
Cellular aging
May be caused by loss if ability of cells to
duplicate perfectly
 Free radicals

◦ Electrons that have become detached (freed) from
their nuclei

Oxygen free radicals
◦ Oxygen atom with unpaired electron
◦ Can cause cancer, diabetes, and arteriosclerosis

Antioxidants
◦ E.g.Vitamins A,C, & E
◦ Nullify free radicals
 Form bond with unattached oxygen electron
◦ May not reduce aging
Immune system

B Cells (Bone)
◦ Immune cells – create antibodies destroying
bacteria and viruses

T cells (Thymus gland)
◦ Immune cells – attack infected cells in the
body
Cell replication problems

Hayflick limit
◦ Every species have a limited number of times
cells will duplicate before they die.
 Humans = 50 times or less
 Related to errors in duplication (copying)
Telomeres
On ends of chromosomes
 Shorten with each replication
 When gone, duplication stops & creature
dies
 Telomerase

◦ Enzyme that increases length of telomeres
◦ May slow down aging
Calorie restriction
1,000 calories a day
 May slow down aging
 Reduces sex drive
 Temporary infertility

The centenarians
122 years = maximum human life span
 Diet: Little meat or fat & more fresh fruit,
vegetables, and fish.
 Work throughout life
 Family & community (social activity)
 Exercise and relaxation
