Denham Harman facts for kids

Denham Harman (born February 14, 1916 – died November 25, 2014) was an American scientist and doctor. He taught at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Harman is known as the "father" of the free radical theory of aging. This theory helps us understand why our bodies change as we get older.

About Denham Harman

Denham Harman was born in San Francisco, California. He studied chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. He earned his first two degrees there in 1943. Later, he went to Stanford University to become a doctor. He finished his medical training in 1954.

Right after getting his chemistry degrees in 1943, Harman started working for Shell Oil. He was a research chemist for six years. At Shell, he studied how "free radicals" reacted in oil products. Free radicals are tiny, unstable parts of molecules. During this time, he received 35 patents for his inventions. One of his inventions was a special compound used in plastic strips to kill flies.

Harman became very interested in why people age. He wanted to find out what causes aging and if there was a way to slow it down. To help him understand this better, he decided to go to medical school. In 1958, he became the head of heart disease research at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Harman was married for most of his life. He met his wife, a journalism student, at a dance in college. They had four children and four grandchildren. Harman lived a very healthy lifestyle. He never smoked and only drank alcohol a little bit. He used to run two miles every day until he was 82 years old. He stopped running because of a back injury. But he still took regular walks to stay healthy.

Denham Harman passed away in Omaha, Nebraska, on November 25, 2014. He was 98 years old and died after a short illness.

The Free Radical Theory of Aging

In 1954, Denham Harman was doing research at UC Berkeley. He was trying to solve the puzzle of what causes aging. After a few months, he had a big idea. He thought that free radicals were causing damage to important parts of our bodies. This damage, he believed, led to aging.

Imagine free radicals as tiny, unstable molecules. They can bump into and damage other important molecules in our cells. This damage builds up over time. Harman's idea was that this damage from free radicals is a main reason why we age.

At first, other scientists were not sure about his theory. But he kept working on it. He was finally able to publish his ideas in a science paper. This paper is now very famous and often mentioned by other scientists.

Mitochondrial Theory of Aging

After many years, Harman noticed something important. He found that even with extra antioxidants, he couldn't make people live much longer. Antioxidants are substances that can help protect cells from free radical damage.

He then realized that tiny parts inside our cells, called mitochondria, were very important. Mitochondria are like the powerhouses of our cells. They make energy. Harman thought that mitochondria were both making free radicals and being damaged by them. He also believed that the antioxidants we take from outside our bodies might not get inside the mitochondria.

Harman concluded that the health of our mitochondria might be key to how long we live. He published these new ideas in a science journal in 1972. He called it the "mitochondrial theory of aging."

Helping Aging Research Grow

In 1969, Denham Harman became worried. He saw that not many scientists were studying the biology of aging. Even fewer were trying to find out what truly causes aging.

So, in 1970, he helped start the American Aging Association (AGE). This group was created to bring together scientists who focused on aging research. They also wanted to encourage more studies on aging. Later, in 1985, he also helped create another group called the International Association of Biomedical Gerontology (IABG). These groups helped push forward the science of aging.