10 Mindblowing Things That Happen As You Age

Short answer: We're not sure.

There are an enormous number of theories out there as to why we age, but so far we have been able to conclusively nail one down. The problem with studying the ageing process in humans is that it tends to take a long time - a lifetime in fact - and so spotting patterns can be pretty difficult. The effects of ageing are well documented, we pretty much know what will happen to all of us as we get old, but the reasons behind these effects are much less clear cut.

There are two main schools of thought on the subject: Programmed and damage. These essentially disagree on whether the ageing process is a purposeful act of hari-kari by our own bodies, or more of an accidental "wear and tear" kinda deal.

The "programmed ageing" camp tend to think that we are genetically programmed to follow a certain timeline of ageing and death from the moment we are born. Whether through our immune or endocrinal (hormonal) systems, we are pre-programmed to switch certain parts of our genes on and off throughout our lifespans, ultimately leading to ageing and death.

The damage theory suggests that our bodies simply can't overcome the laws of chemistry and physics that cause damage to our cells over time. The mechanisms of damage vary widely from theory to theory, with everything from free-radical damage to DNA degeneration being put forwards as the reason behind your ever-increasing wrinkles.