Recombination
The process in which genetic material is exchanged, either between different chromosomes or different regions between the same chromosome, to result in a combination of genetic material different from the starting genotypes. Defects in recombination processes can lead to alterations in the proper segregation of genetic material to daughter nuclei. In C. elegans the rate of recombination was shown to be inversely affected by hermaphrodite age and temperature. Recombination rates decrease with age of the hermaphrodite and increase with temperature.
Aging
Aging in C. elegans involves measurable declines in morphology, reproduction, and behavior. Understanding the cellular and molecular processes leading to senescence in this nematode began in the early 1980s with the targeted identification of mutants with extended life spans (an AGE phenotype). These studies identified at least two key regulators of life span, DAF-2, an insulin/IGF receptor ortholog, and DAF-16, a Forkhead-related transcription factor. Since then many more genes and pathways involved in senescence have been identified. Almost all of these genes play important roles in cellular and organismal-level processes other than aging, such as dauer formation, stress response, feeding, and chemosensation. A common marker for aging in C. elegans is the accumulation of lysosomal deposits of lipofuscin, resulting in an increase in intestinal autofluorescence over time.