Researchers studied nearly 7 million individual cells from 21 organs in 32 mice. They looked at three ages: one month, five months and 21 months. To do this, the team improved a method called single-cell ATAC-seq, which shows which parts of DNA are open in each cell.
The group found more than 1,800 cell subtypes and tracked how they changed with age. About a quarter of cell types changed. Muscle and kidney cells often declined, while immune cells increased. Many changes appeared by five months and some were similar across organs. The study also found sex differences in aging.
Difficult words
- organ — a part of the body with specific jobsorgans
- individual — one single unit, not part of a group
- method — a way to do a scientific task
- subtype — a smaller, specific group within a main typesubtypes
- decline — to become less in number or qualitydeclined
- immune — relating to the body's system that fights infection
- aging — the process of getting older over time
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you think it is important to study many organs? Why?
- Would you like to learn more about how cells change with age? Why or why not?
- Which organ would you study to learn about aging, and why?
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