The Study of Aging in Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract

Because humans have a long lifespan relative to other organisms, aging studies have been performed in a variety of systems. Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is one model organism that has been used to study aging due to its short life span (about 3 weeks), low cost for maintenance, its ease of cultivation and the fact that it produces large number of offspring [1-2]. The mechanisms involved in aging in C. elegans have also been studied in other organisms, including mammals. Among these mechanisms are oxidative damage, dietary restriction, reduction in the Insulin/Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF) signaling pathway and decreased TOR (Target of Rapamycin) signaling [1][2][3][4].