It has been one of man’s fervent wishes to find a way to slow down aging and increase longevity. Emperors and kings have searched for the fountain of youth throughout the centuries. Nowadays, doctors and scientists are continuing the quest in the laboratory, looking for the most effective methods to reverse the aging process.

Late last year, Dr. Joseph Mercola attended the 2009 Longevity Summit, which drew some of the world’s top anti-aging biologists and experts, including Sierra Sciences CEO Bill Andrews, PhD. Andrews gave a lecture on telomeres and their potential role in altering the aging process.

According to one theory, you age as your cells age and if you can find a way to delay the aging of your cells, you’ll be able to control your aging.

All cells contain a nucleus, which house the chromosomes that contain your genes. A chromosome has two “arms,” with each arm containing a single molecule DNA, which is composed of units called bases. A typical DNA molecule is approximately 100 million bases long. Telomeres are bundles of DNA located at the tip of each chromosome arm, and are similar to the plastic tips on shoelaces that keep them from unraveling.

A telomere is about 15,000 bases long at the moment of conception in the womb. Immediately after conception, your cells start dividing and your telomeres shorten each time cell division occurs. Once your telomeres are reduced to about 5,000 bases, you essentially die of old age (note: DNA molecules are about 100 million bases long).