Abstract
Discussions of aging invariably begin by establishing a satisfactory definition for the term aging and the related word senescence. Although the term aging is commonly used to refer to postmaturational processes that lead to diminished homeostasis and increased organismic vulnerability, the more correct term for this is senescence (derived from the Latin word “senescere,” meaning to grow old or to diminish), which explicitly refers to the process of growing old and sustaining related deterioration. Aging on the other hand can refer to any time-related process. We will use senescence to refer to cellular phenomena and aging to refer to changes, as organisms grow old.
