In a message dated 5/1/00 7:14:07 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
jonkc@worldnet.att.net writes:
> And it's been known since the 60's that
> cells from old animals put in a tissue culture divide less than that of
younger
> ones from the same species,
Actually there are studies on both sides of that; just recently I saw a
mention
of some study that "conclusively proved" old human cells do not divide less
than cells from young adults (so obviously the issue is still open). Fetal
cells *do* outlast adult cells; but that may be a different process.
> and you get more in vitro cell divisions from
> long lived species than from short lived ones.
Enh, that varies. Mice cells can go forever in culture;
human cells always have a finite lifespan. I think you
may get more divisions prior to transformation, but that's
not a telomerase issues; it just means longer-lived
species have better cancer control, which is a "duh".
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