Leaves are the solar panels that sustain the human race.
Some leaves can live for decades, but most have a limited lifespan.
Agriculture is mostly about keeping foliage alive, so it seems pretty important to try to understand the built-in obsolescence of leaves.
Most plants also have a limited lifespan. Others, such as ancient trees, just seem to go on and on. What determines the longevity of the whole plant?
And what in turn can this tell us about biological aging in general and human aging in particular?
My research specialty is senescence, a subject that embraces all these questions and more. I’ve written many scientific papers and books on all aspects of the topic – see my list of publications here.
And here’s a page of FAQs about plant senescence.
Finally, here’s a link to the latest in my series of annual lectures (DED talks, ha ha, see what I did there?) on the subject of Ageing and Death.
