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Turtles have discovered how to switch off ageing process, scientists find

Scientists discover that defensive mechanisms, such as shells and venom, may contribute to animals’ ability to stop their own bodies from deteriorating, Andy Gregory reports

Friday 24 June 2022 00:14 BST
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<p>Turtles may hold the key to escaping the ageing process </p>

Turtles may hold the key to escaping the ageing process

Turtles have managed to slow down and even completely switch off the ageing process, according to two new studies which subvert the notion of ageing as an inescapable fate.

While no living organism can escape death, scientists have provided the most compelling evidence yet that our cold-blooded compatriots may hold the keys to the long-coveted secret of how to weaken the fatalistic grip of time.

The new studies, both published on Thursday in the journal Science, have found that various species of turtles – and also tortoises, crocodiles and salamanders – have found a way to either slow down or virtually halt senescence, the process of deterioration within the body.

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