Includes bibliographical references and index.

Old age as a stage of life : common terms related to aging and methods used to study aging -- Human longevity in historical perspective -- Comparative aging, geriatric functional assessment, aging and disease -- Cellular senescence, cell death, and transgenic mouse models of aging -- Theories of life span and aging -- The nervous system : structural, biochemical, metabolic, and circulatory changes -- The nervous system : functional changes with aging -- Sensory systems : normal aging, disorders, and treatments of vision and hearing in humans -- The adrenals and pituitary-stress, adaptation, and longevity -- Female reproductive aging and menopause -- The ensemble male hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis -- The thyroid, parathyroid, and pineal glands -- The endocrine pancreas, obesity, and diffuse endocrine and chemical mediators -- The immune system -- Cardiovascular alternations with aging: atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease -- Lipids, lipoproteins, and atherosclerosis -- The pulmonary respiration, hematopoiesis, and erythrocytes -- The kidney, lower urinary tract, body fluids, and the prostate -- The gastrointestinal tract and the liver -- The skeleton, joints, and sketetal and cardiac muscles -- The skin -- Pharmacology and drug management in the elderly -- Healthful aging : nutrition and experimental strategies in dietary restriction -- Benefits of physical exercise -- Regenerative perspectives and assistive technologies.

Also available in print edition.

Mode of access: World Wide Web.