Final answer:
Physical and cognitive decline typically occurs during elderly age, including reduced muscle mass, mobility, and changes to the senses and reflex times. Elderly people are more prone to chronic conditions and have reduced immune system efficiency. Cellular aging leads to visible signs like wrinkles and greying hair, while structural changes affect bones, joints, and nerve transmissions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Physiological Changes in the Elderly
As individuals enter into elderly age, a variety of physiological changes occur that affect their overall health and functioning. Typical physiological changes include a decrease in muscle mass and mobility, which contribute to increased frailty. Furthermore, elderly individuals may experience a higher incidence of chronic conditions such as heart diseases, respiratory syndromes, and type 2 diabetes. In addition, wound healing becomes slower, and the immune system's efficiency in fighting off infections declines. The aging process can also impact the body's homeostatic balance, making the elderly more susceptible to diseases like heat stroke and reducing their ability to combat infectious diseases and cancer.
With advancing age, individuals can face significant reductions in stamina, strength, and reflex times. The senses such as smell, taste, hearing, and vision, which are acute in younger years, undergo a decline. The skin loses elasticity, reaction times slow down, and muscle strength diminishes, leading to more visible signs of aging such as wrinkles. Beyond the physical aspects, cognitive functions can also be affected, potentially leading to memory loss, dementia, or Alzheimer's disease.
Cellular changes that accompany aging, such as reduced elasticity in tissues and graying hair due to less melanin production, reflect the larger picture of senescence. Structural changes such as the thinning of cartilage in joints, loss of bone minerals, decreased muscle mass, and nerve transmission issues can also occur. It's important to note that while some decline in physical and cognitive function is expected with aging, there is considerable individual variability influenced by genetics and lifestyle.