 | | | UOW researchers Professor Bill Buttemer (left) and Professor Tony Hulbert ‘photo shopped’ on to the cover of the latest Physiological Reviews journal by photographer Sean Maguire |
‘Life and Death’ article featured as cover story in Physiological Reviews
24 Oct 2007 | Bernie Goldie
Why do different species vary so greatly in their maximum possible lifespan? Why can humans live for up to 120 years yet rats live only three years? Why are birds so long living? What are the mechanisms that determine the distinctive maximum lifespan for each species?
These questions have long puzzled biologists. Early answers were related to metabolic intensity of different species. Yet it has been known for a while that this rate-of-living theory was not a complete explanation. For example, exercise does not shorten an animal’s lifespan.
Professor Tony Hulbert and Professor Bill Buttemer from UOW’s School of Biological Sciences (together with a Spanish and a US co-author) have just had their article titled Life and Death featured on the cover of the latest issue of the prestigious scientific journal Physiological Reviews.
It is regarded as a major honour to be chosen for the cover article as Physiological Reviews is the top-ranked physiology journal in the world.
Professor Hulbert said the journal publishes only invited reviews and it has an impact factor greater than both the well known science journals of Nature and Science. Physiological Reviews provides state-of-the art coverage of timely issues in the physiological and biomedical sciences. It appeals to physiologists, neuroscientists, cell biologists, biophysicists, and clinicians with special interest in pathophysiology.
The researchers point out in the article that in recent years it has become apparent that the fatty acid composition of membranes varies systematically among species.
It has already been established that the fats that make up cell membranes of animals are important determinants of the metabolic rate of animals. Warm-blooded species have polyunsaturated membranes while cold-blooded species have membranes that are monounsaturated. Similarly, small species with high metabolic rates have cell membranes that are polyunsaturated while large species with low metabolic rates have monounsaturated membranes.
They say that when the different membrane composition is combined with the oxidative-stress theory, much of the variation in maximum lifespan among different animal species can be explained.
The full title of their article is entitled “Life and Death: Metabolic Rate, Membrane Composition, and Life Span of Animals”.
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