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ABSTRACT
This dissertation presents a new hypothesis on ageing in which atmospheric oxygen is proposed as the crucial factor in the modulation of human life span. The effects of atmospheric oxygen as modulator of human life span are analyzed through three different approaches:
1.- EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH. Experiments are proposed to test the influence of different environmental oxygen pressures on the life span of various animal species. The methodology to be employed, is based on the knowledge achieved through pervious research in which life span of cells in culture was tested in environments with different oxygen pressures. In cells in culture, an increase in life span was observed at oxygen pressures lower than 152 mm Hg.
2.- APPROACH THROUGH STATISTICAL STUDIES. The effects of atmospheric oxygen on the life span of human populations living in mountain areas where the oxygen pressure is low, are compared with the effects on populations living at sea level where the atmospheric oxygen pressure is high. Statistical studies and population graphs presented here demonstrate that a greater centenarian percentage is found in mountain areas where the atmosphere is low in oxygen.
3.- INTEGRATIVE APPROACH. The six main theories of ageing are analyzed in detail. Additional concepts related to environmental and atmospheric factors are integrated to each theory. The facts presented in this dissertation, provide the basic principles to establish a new hypothesis on ageing which states that high oxygen pressure has an inverse effect on life span. High atmospheric oxygen pressure has a direct effect in shortening human life span, whilst low atmospheric oxygen pressure has the reverse effect.
The hypothesis on ageing presented here, does not contradict the essence of the six main theories of ageing, but integrates the individual principles intrinsic to each one of the other six theories on ageing into a more universal principle underlying all other influences. The universal motive modulating ageing according to the hypothesis presented here, is the earth's atmosphere, and one of its main components, oxygen
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