The biological aging process, is explained by genetic (1) (2) (3), metabolic (4) (5) (6), biochemical (7) (2) (8), and evolutionary (9) (10) (11) (12) theories. The present work only show a hypothesis about aging. Although the aging is a biological theme (13) (14) (15), the work to propose a general theoretical frame beyond the biological (16) (17) (10) (18) thing only.

For it, one resorts to ideas that come from the theoretical physics, like the geometric phase and the self-organization. The consideration of the alive beings like complex physical systems, integrated by a dissipative energy system, associated to an self-organizational system that recovers the energy dissipated like information, is a fundamental premise to follow ahead (19) (20). The physical systems define their variables in a certain place of real the physical space, that constitutes the environment of this system. The sensible variables to the environment geometry of the parameters space, do not recover cycle after cycle their original values, if the environment undergoes slow changes (it is gradually nonflat, or curved). This phenomenon, receives the name of geometric phase by Michael Berry. Figure 1. (21)

The geometric phase is applicable to all oscillating system, like the alive beings and other physical systems that fulfill such condition. It isn´t necessary that the alive beings have oscillations like the light or a pendulum. They are oscillating systems since they fulfill cycles. The theory of connected oscillating and its application to the alive beings, are clear about such condition.

But to understand how this anholonomic phenomenon could contribute to explain the aging, it is precise to go further on. One is due to consider that physical systems like the alive beings, before declining, grow, they are developed and they evolved. And the general model that gives account of such processes, is the one of self-organization (22) (23) (24) (25).

Within the framework of the atractor theory, of Stuart Kauffman, the self-organization fundation they are the NK2 type random boolean networks. This means physical systems of N elements (variables), in which the one state anyone of them, depends only on the other two elements state (K2) of the network. In this type of physical system (NK2), certain variables (elements) form congealed nuclei or islands that are nailed in their states, recovering cycle after cycle such values. This throws like result, two fundamental properties of this system type: one is the self-organization, and the other is the homeostasis (26). One is not due to lose of view that in this case (the one of the self-organization), the environment of parameters space is necessarily flat, since of being gradually nonflat (curved), the variables would not recover their original values. The alive beings are self-organizational and homeostatic, but these properties could be lost gradually in the aging. Physical systems like the alive beings, could modify the environment geometry of parameters space (the parameters space it ins´t the real space, only is a virtual space, but the parameters space environment, is the real space). The homeostasis and the self-organization capacity, are lost. If the geometric phase hypotheses and the self-organization theory are corrects descriptions the physical systems evolution, the present proposal could unify them under a general theory of aging. (27) (28)

OBJECTIVES

To verify in the design, the gradual loss homeostasis in elderly, with a prevalence study.

To propose in the discussion, a general theoretical frame beyond the biological thing only, with base in:

a) The Margalef principle
b) The Berry geometric phase
c) The Stuart Kauffman self-organization theory

DESIGN

Previous works data on the homeostasis in healthy individuals, of both sexes and different ethnic, old and young groups, were valued. One is indexed works in Medline (29) (30) (31) (32). A few variables like diaphragm strength, calcium homeostasis, temperature lability, and resting metabolic were valued. Others works (see references) confirm that the homeostasis and adaptation capcity are loss in elderly for many, or perhaps all variables.

The prevalence of loss homeostasis in elderly is greater than young. The statistycal analisys of Chi Square (?2) show significtive difference (p<0.005) for the studiated variables.

DISCUSSION

The general theory necessity, arises to analyze the possibilities that the biological theories have, of providing solid an explanation, that allow to understand the aging process (9) (19) (24) (20) (1) (33) (2) (3). The Hayflick experiments, in which a cytoplasm supposedly damaged by free radicals continues dividing itself beyond the awaited thing, are a hard blow to the metabolic theories (34). But the blow that the cloning aims to the genetic theories like the one of the same Hayflick, is not smaller: aged nuclei, do much more that to continue dividing itself (35). The calls systemics theories resign by essence, to explain the aging in the organisms that lack such systems. And the evolutionary theories, do not explain the apparent absence of aging in the unicellular ones (36) (37) (38) (39). In agreement with the present work, the first approach to the understanding of the subject, comes from the spanish biologist Ramon Margalef, when affirming that without doubt, the alive beings are physical systems.

Ramon Margalef, affirm that the alive beings are physical systems. Such author goes further on, and considers to the beings alive complex systems, integrated by two connected system: a dissipative system and one self-organizational system. Margalef advances thus, on the roll of the thermodynamics second law in biology. The alive beings are particular physical systems, because in them, the entropy generated by energy dissipation, is recovered like information by the self-organizational system. It is appraised like structure generation, or irreversible changes of the same one, binding the alive beings to the history creation (to produce irreversible facts). The second law stops being the death certificate of the alive beings, to happen to be the guarantee of its evolution, its increasing organization and her permanence (40). But like all physical system, the alive beings are not insensible to the geometry of real physical space in which its existence is defined, and that constitutes the atmosphere of its parameters space (21) (41). Thus, the geometric phase phenomenon, can contribute to explain of a general way, the aging. If some state variables did not recover their original values cyclical, sooner or later, the system would decline. The biological findings (genetic, metabolic...) would be in fact, epiphenomenon of a general order process, more long reach. Nevertheless, one is not due to forget that, so that the geometric phase is applicable, the parameters space atmosphere must be curved, and this curvature must be gradual (slow). Then the following question arises: how the geometric phase is made suitable, with the self-organization process. Before aging, the alive beings are born, grow and they are developed, generating complexity and increasing order.

The model that allows to explain such facts (increasing order and complexity), is the one of the self-organization. And the same one is based on which certain system variables, are nailed in their states and recover cycle after cycle, their original values. This happens in the NK2 type systems, calls thus based on the random boolean networks of N elements or variables, and in which the state or value of one anyone of the elements, depends on the value or state of other two elements (K2), or network variables (26) (42) (43). A physical system of this nature, reunites two characteristics: one is the spontaneous tendency to the self-organization, and the other is the homeostasis (26) (44) (45) (46).

Like as said, in this type of physical system (NK2), certain variables (elements) form congealed nuclei or islands that are nailed in their states, recovering cycle after cycle such values. The environment of parameters space, is necessarily flat, since to be curved, the geometric phase anholonomy would prevent that the variables recovered cycle after cycle their original values. A flat space, is the self-organization scene, the increasing complexity and development (47).

A curved space, like the one of the geometric phase, implies that the state variables do not recover their original values cyclical, and is not the self-organization propitious scene and the homeostasis. Been account that physical systems as the alive beings lose their self-organization capacity and homeostasis with the aging, the geometric phase model could describe of a general way, the alive beings like physical systems declination. In this point, it is fundamental to understand that the same physical system that in a while its existence enjoys a great homeostasis capacity, soon loses it. This means that, the same space that in a while allows the system to draw for disturbances (homeostasis), soon prevents it. And as it is direct function of the space geometry, since its flatness allows the homeostasis and its curvature prevents it, is reasonable to question itself on the causes that cause such modification of their geometry.

The environment of parameters space of physical systems like the alive beings, undergoes a gradual curvature that is appraised in the homeostasis loss. At the beginning of their lives, the alive beings define their state variables in a flat space. The sufficiently flat thing, like allowing to the homeostasis and the self-organization. In the other end of the life, it happens the opposite. The space becomes so curved, as to prevent or to reduce the homeostasis. The alive beings journey a space of changing geometry, first plane, soon gradually nonflat (curved). (26) (21) The alive beings are physical systems that are defined in certain region of real physical space, that constitutes its environment. And as in that same space - in other regions - they are defined in addition, inert physical systems, are possible to ask themselves why the alive beings are the unique ones in journeying these peculiar space distortions, of the form in which they do it. Perhaps it is simply because, they themselves, when living, are those that cause the alluded to environmental changes. That the alive beings modify the environment, is not newness. But, they can arrive at as much, can its existence, to really affect the space-temporary texture in itself? If the space region in which the state variables of an alive being are defined really finds curved, somebody could ask why not to note such space geometry modification.

The answer would be: note it, we called aging to him, and not yet we guessed right to understand the deep nature and meaning of the same one. The proposed approach, could unify the geometric phase and the self-organization, in a general theory of the aging, sustained in a little well-known characteristic of the biological phenomenon: the dimensional one (48) (49) (50). The case of the pencil and the sphere surface, are only an example proposed by Berry to illustrate the geometric phase, but it locks up a great heuristic force. If we replaced the pencil by the alive beings, and the sphere surface by the continuous space-time in which they live such, perhaps we have another geometric phase example, that helps to understand the biological aging nature, and its meaning.

CONCLUSION

The aging process is associated to a gradual homeostasis loss. Such condition is not attributable to pathology, since the study consulted was carried out in a healthy population. In agreement with the observed thing, the greater certain pathologies frecuency in the third age, as well as the genetic-metabolic alterations, and the probablity death increase associated to the age, are consequences of the homeostasis loss, and not the cause of the same one. What as soon as bothers to the 20 years old, probably it kills to the 90 years old. And it must to the gradual capacity loss to draw for disturbances (homeostasis). (51) If the geometric phase hypothesis (M.Berry) and the self-organization theory (S.Kauffman) are correct (52) and applicables to the alive beings (53), the homeostasis loss shows the gradual curvature whom the space undergoes, in which define the physical systems state variables like the alive beings (Margalef principle say, the alive beings are physical system). Thus, the biological aging is defined by the homeostasis loss, and this one, could be due to the real physical space gradual curvature (nonflat) that forms the biological system environment. The dimentional nature of the biological phenomenon, would be shown in the aging process.

For the case of ligth, the real physical space that consitute the environment of system is flat (52). But the in case of alive beings, the real physical space that constitute the environment of system, is ours knowed tetradimentional space time. So the curvature of this space (expressed in the alive beings aging), is indication of a strange and unknown characteristic of biological phenomenon: the dimentional one. (54) (55)

The author knows that though the proposal is about a medical and biological theme, really is interdisciplinary, strange, and that it can be considered nonsustainable.

But such nonsustainability would be easy to verify: It would only be necessary to demonstrate that the alive beings are not physical systems, that the geometric phase is not applicable to them even though its cycles reproduce the connected oscillating conduct, and that the self-organization does not happen as we create it in the alive beings.

Any way the work not tried to explain the aging, but to only propose an alternative hypothesis (a general theoretical frame beyond the biological thing only).

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