Abstract:
Regulation in protective systems responsible for longevity is considered. Early life stress experiments with Caenorhabditis elegans worms show that the two stationary states of protection exist. The switch between them reflects the aging process while the observed increase in longevity takes place due to more effective protection at advanced ages. The presence of the two stationary states is explained by the nonlinear structure of differential equations, which describe the production of harmful and protective substances in the organism. The extension of the results to the humans is discussed.