Essay, Research Paper: Life Span And The Variables That Effect It

The Life Span and the Variables that Effect it
Our lives, are rather insignificant in the whole scheme of the universe, just imagine that the universe has been around for billions and billions of years, yet we only see a 100-year portion of it. If we get to see that whole 100 years of it then we are considered lucky, the average life span is influenced by so many variables, it is amazing how many things that we have little or no control over can effect the our lives. For instance, genetics is a variable that we have no control over, we do not choose our genetic makeup, it is chosen for us. Yet our genetics influence our lives in such a large way.
Through genetics our life span can be affected by disease and abnormalities. Heredity is a major cause for diseases such as cancer, AIDS, heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. These diseases all weigh greatly on our lifespan, and they are transmitted commonly through genetics. The way that these diseases are transmitted from father to child or mother to child is though DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
Another variable that affects the life span is socioeconomic status. This status describes the economic and social classes that the family is in. This affects the life span due to the amount of money that the family can spend on nutrition and medical services. Without the money to provide proper nutrition and medicine a life span is greatly decreased by the risk of death by common disease. On the other end of the spectrum families that are in the higher socioeconomic classes can provide more medical attention to various diseases and thus prevent long-term complications.
Culture also has a great effect on the life span of a person; culture is the description for a group of people with the same attitudes, values, customs, and beliefs. This has an effect on a person’s life span because cultural beliefs and values may come into play when dealing with certain medical solutions to disease, for example a certain culture may not believe in operations to remove cancer, this would cause added risk for early death. Culture has a big impact on the decisions that a person makes and whether they view their decisions as moral or immoral.
Males and females both have a different average life expectancy, why is that? Why does gender affect the life span? The average life span for men in the U.S. is 72 years old and the average for women is 79 years old. Many diseases are more common in men than in women or some are more common in women than in men, overall men are at risk more for heart disease and lung disease. This causes the decreased life expectancy for men as opposed to women.
Although education is a voluntary aspect of life it is still vital to the length of a life span. The knowledge of one’s own anatomy is an important aspect of knowing about possible diseases that may come your way. The knowledge of various diseases and their symptoms will help a person detect a sickness before it becomes a problem. Education provides a knowledge base for one’s own capabilities and limits, thus a person is more aware of their normal state of being and they can easily determine when they are ill or have an abnormal feeling. This early detection of disease will automatically act as a tool in recovering quickly and preventing long-term side effects.
Life span is also affected by one’s race. The race that a person belongs to affects their life span because many races are more susceptible to certain diseases and certain prejudices. These prejudices may cause a minority to be more vulnerable in the world, but that all depends on the community in which they live. Some diseases are more commonly seen in blacks than in whites and that may affect the life span, racism can also affect the life span because of hate crimes and pressure form the community. These are all problems that affect the people of many different races. Race, culture and gender all tie together in this aspect because they are all relevant when considering when hate crimes affect the life span of a particular person.
As you can see the life span is greatly affected by many variables and none of them can be singled out as the only thing that affects a person’s life span. All aspects of a person’s life combined make up his/her life span. All variables that affect the life span can be seen in many different ways and interpreted in many different ways. All in all everything that a person touches, thinks, feels, and interacts with can inevitably affect their lifespan.


Word Count: 794