It turns out that regardless of their actual age, the majority of healthy adults have had the liver of a toddler! According to a recent study, this special organ has the capacity to renew, which means that it keeps an age range of under three across the duration of a person’s lifetime.

The liver has the capacity to repair after suffering damage, according to an international study. But up until today, it was unknown whether this skill declined with aging. Retrospective radiocarbon birth dating was performed to determine the liver’s age in a group of people whose ages ranged from 20 to 84.

The liver was found to have a constant age of about three years, regardless of the person’s age. The results of the study, according to the scientists, demonstrate that the liver and the body’s capacity to regenerate this crucial filter are not affected by aging.

Why is the liver so unique?

According to scientists, the liver is vital to human health since it removes toxins from our bodies. However, the liver is at a greater risk of injury since it regularly carries out this unpleasant task. The liver continually replaces a significant amount of its cells in order to avoid this.

While other investigations demonstrated a steady turnover, some studies suggested that liver cells might have a lengthy lifespan. Researchers also point out that an individual’s liver size changes over life to accommodate the requirements of the body. This happens because liver cells are continuously replaced, even in old age.

Liver cells that grow old carry ore DNA

The liver contains some cells that leave preschool. A small percentage of these cells, the research team discovered, can survive for over ten years until the liver regenerates them. Compared to other cell types, this specific group of cells has more DNA.

The leader of the research team, Dr. Olaf Bergmann, stated that cells have three chromosomes and cells accumulate DNA. In the end, as the cells grow old, they end up carrying four, eight, or more chromosomes.