This book brings together in one volume the current state of ageing research in the nematode
Caenorhabditis elegans. The authors are leading researchers in the field placing this topic in
the context of human ageing describing how and why basic discoveries in this simple organism
have impacted our prospects for intervention in the ageing process. The authors cover a broad
range of topics with regards to organismal and reproductive ageing including anatomical
physiological and biochemical changes as well as genetic and environmental interventions that
promote longevity and ameliorate age-related disease. Ageing is the single most important
factor determining the onset of human disease in developed countries. With current worldwide
demographic trends indicating that the number of individuals over the age of 65 will continue
to rise it is clear that an understanding of the processes that underpin ageing and
age-related disease represents a key challenge in the biomedical sciences. In recent years
there have been huge advances in our understanding of the ageing process and many of these have
stemmed from genetic analysis of C. elegans. With no analogous book in this subject area this
work will be of interest to a wide audience ranging from academic researchers to the general
public.
