Cells from different organisms are capable of a fixed number of divisions in culture
What does it tell us about ageing that cells from different organisms are capable of a fixed number of divisions in culture? In each organism, the cells seem to be capable of a genetically determined number of divisions, after which the organism undergoes senescence and dies
The cells from these different organisms are not all equally adapted to growth in culture Cells growing in culture live for the same number of years that the organism from which they are derived would be expected to live, indicating a genetically determined life span The conditions cells encounter in culture lead to oxidative damage which reflects the kind of damage that normally leads to ageing in the organisn.y