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| You are only as old as you feel, it is said. But soon scientists will be able to calculate your real "physiological (生理的) age". Researchers studying genes believe they can now tell exact physiological age by looking at a number of clues in DNA. They don't have to ask people how they feel or look at their appearance. The breakthrough could solve the mystery of why some 70-year-olds function at the level of those in their 50s, while others become weak sooner than you would think. The researchers made the breakthrough by finding the "biomarkers" of aging in tiny worms. The worms they studied had an average lifespan (寿命) of three weeks. Like humans, some remain lively much longer than other similarly-aged worms, while others show signs of premature aging. By genetically profiling (基因识别) 104 different worms at various ages, the researchers found a group of genes that are involved in the aging process. 'This is a first step; our results were not perfect, but we were able to predict the ages of the animals 70 percent of the time, which is far better than anything that has been done before," said Simon Melov, the lead researcher at Buck Institute for Age Research in California. Now they want to extend their studies to mice and eventually humans. "I am confident that at some point there will be a non-subjective method of determining how old someone is with a high level of confidence," said Melov. The speed at which people age depends on a number of things including genetic inheritance (遗传), lifestyle and mental health. Determining chronological (按时间顺序的) age in both worms and humans is easy - count forward from birth. But determining physiological age has remained subjective ? based on how someone looks or functions. The findings have major implications for age research in humans. Examining biomarkers over time would provide a scientific basis for anti-aging medicines. The technology would also provide a means of determining whether a person is aging faster or slower than people would normally think. 1. How can researchers tell one's exact physiological age? A. By looking at their appearance. B. By asking people how they feel. C. By looking at a number of clues in DNA. D. By finding the "biomarkers" of aging in tiny worms. 2. What did the researchers base their survey on as their first breakthrough? A. Humans. B. Worms. C. Mice. D. Lifespan. 3. The researchers found__________. A. some 70-year-olds function become weak sooner than expected. B. anyone was as old as he was feeling. C. a group of genes were involved in the aging process. D. the speed at which people age only depends on their genetic inheritance. 4. What is the best title of the passage? A. Genetically profiling B. Find your true age C. Worms and humans D. Research in humans |