They find a universal model that explains the life of the species

A team of Spanish specialists from the National Center for Oncological Research (CNIO) ensured that there is a mathematical equation capable of accurately predicting the longevity of a species and derived from the speed with which the structures that protect the genes contained in the genes are shortened. chromosomes.

These structures, called telomeres, have been compared in mice, goats, dolphins, gulls, reindeers, vultures, flamingos, elephants and humans, and the study, published in PNAS, reveals that species whose telomeres are shortening faster live less, according to the EFE agency.

María Blasco, head of the Telomere and Telomerase group of the CNIO and director of the book, pointed out that the existence of such a clear relationship between the speed of telomere shortening and longevity suggests that they have found "a universal pattern , a biology phenomenon that explains the life span of the species, and this deserves more research "

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It has long been known, largely thanks to the work of the Blasco group, that telomeres are at the origin of the aging of the body. These integrate the ends of the chromosomes, inside the nucleus of the cell, and their function is to protect the genes.

"We showed that the important thing was not the initial size but the rate of shortening, a parameter that predicts the longevity of species with a high degree of accuracy," said Kurt Whittemore, the first author of the report. # 39; section.

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This predicts the longevity of species much better than other parameters considered up to now, such as body weight or heart rate.