“We are not a source of death,” says Nobel Prize winner, Finkki Ramkirichanan.

Fenkatmanan Ramakishnan, and man death. Although this does not seem to be a good nickname, it is: Ramrakrichnan is one of the most prominent scientists in the world in the fields of structural biology and cellular processes aging And death. He received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2009 for discovering the ribosome structure, a decisive cellular machine responsible for genetic expression.

In addition to being a leading researcher, Ramakrishnan is a prolific author. After the tremendous success GeneticsNotes in which he narrates his human and scientific journey, the great publication Why do we dieA book – as his name suggests – specifically to clarify the dynamics that regulates aging, which leads gradually and in an indisputable way to death.

Ramakrishnan was recently in Italy, in Milan, where he gave a lecture in the second edition of the Milan LongVity summit, the most important Italian event dedicated to longevity The physical psychological luxury, organized by Braincircle ITALIA. It was an opportunity to meet him and ask some questions. This interview was released for clarity and length.

WAID: Professor Ramkrichnan, the decisive question in your book is Why do we die. But exactly what is death?

Finki Rumkrichnan: By death, we mean the loss that is irreversible to the ability to work as a firm individual. This is the result of a system or embarrassing system, for example, the heart, brain, lung or kidney failure. In this sense, there is a clear paradox: when our being, as a whole, is alive, millions of cells inside us die constantly, and we do not realize it. On the other hand, at the time of death, most cells in our bodies are still alive, and the entire organs are still working and can be donated to people who need to be transplanted. But at this point, the body lost the ability to work as a whole. In this sense, it is important to distinguish between the death of the cell and the death of the individual.

Speaking of death and aging, you say in your last book that you “wanted to provide an objective view of our current understanding of the phenomena.” What is the biggest surprise or more deep belief that you should reconsider and search for this work?

There were many surprises, in fact. The first is that death, contrary to what one might think, does not program our genes. Evolution is not concerned with the duration we live, but it only chooses the ability to transfer our genes, a process known as “fitness” in evolutionary biology. Thus, the features that are chosen are those that help us survive in childhood and reproduce. It is, later in life, which causes aging and decline.

Another curious discovery is the fact that aging is not simply due to the weariness on the cells. Employment and tears constantly occur in all living organisms, but different types have a very different age. Instead, Lifespan is a result of a balance between spending on the resources needed to maintain and repair the organism that works and that necessary to make it grow, maturity, and keep it in good health until it is cloned and looked at offspring.