A Small Amount of Stress… is GOOD?

Harmful stressors the body is exposed to include: radiation, pollution, heavy metals, and high temperature. However, a small amount of stressors isn’t that bad. Clearly we shouldn’t light ourselves on fire everyday for a couple seconds.

But the naked mole rat is exposed to many stressors and can live up to thirty years. In contrast, small rats live up to 2-4 years! It’s interesting to think about as they are both rodents yet have different lifespans.

Humans go through hormesis as well. For example, exercise! Too much exercise can lead to serious injuries. Exercising regularly for 30-60 minutes is great for health! By allowing the muscle fibers to tear, it causes the body to go through the recovery process. The recovery process allows the body to become resistant, making hormesis very beneficial!

Heavy metals include iron, aluminum, or mercury (gray molecules) and free radicals discussed last article (red molecules). Free radicals damage the DNA leading to aging as they steal electrons from YOU!

I’m Carly Menchaca

I’m attending New York University in 2025, and I’m majoring in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering!

My website’s purpose is to share information, book recommendations, and my art! My drawings are inspired by lectures, books, articles, or educational videos. The art is followed up with a short summary. I use an iPad Air 3, Apple Pencil Generation 1, and the Free Notes app to create my drawings. I upload a new post every other Friday.