IUBio

Brain Cell Death

PDR pdr at lycosemail.com
Sun Jan 3 14:38:36 EST 1999


Can anyone here answer a question I have.

I was wondering what would happen to the brain if a way was found to halt
the ageing process.  By this I mean prolonging life for ever, barring
accident, murder or suicide.  I am not in any way knowledgeable about the
science of the brain, so forgive me for my mistakes, but I believe that the
brain cannot keep learning forever and also that brain-cells die and are not
replaced, while other cells are.  This being the case it seems to me that if
we could 'live forever' after a long enough time we would simply become
vegetables as our brains lose their ability to think.  Please could someone
tell me - how long would this take?  How long before our personality
noticeably changed?  How long before our IQ began to drop?  Would it?  Or,
have I made a fundamental mistake?

Any answers would be appreciated,

Yours,

Philip Harries





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