Abstract
The biology of aging can be investigated at a variety of complexity levels; from the molecular level of organization to the population( demographic) level of organization. At the demographic level of organization, one of the easiest measurements (or observations) to make is the number of individuals N(t) that are alive at a given time t (Observe that this is equivalent to knowing a lifespan distribution). If the population is closed to the outside world(no migration, etc.), then the only force for change, in the population, is birth and death. Further, given that the population is unisexual, we may eliminate population changes due to reproduction. Thus, we end up with death as the only force for change in our population under observation. Such populations, as I have just described, are standard in most aging experiments, such as diet restiction experiments.
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© 1987 Plenum Press, New York
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Witten, M. (1987). Information Content of Biological Survival Curves Arising in Aging Experiments: Some Further Thoughts. In: Woodhead, A.D., Thompson, K.H. (eds) Evolution of Longevity in Animals. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-1939-9_20
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-1939-9_20
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