What Processes Cause Aging?

I found the reading about the various process that cause aging to be interesting but had a hard time understanding some of the finer details and more complex explanations. I do find it interesting that oxidation has been found to be a possible contributor to aging in humans. It seems strange that humans need oxygen in order to sustain life but too much oxygen over time also causes us to age. I suppose this could be a system that evolved with time to ensure that all humans eventually age and die.

Along with the theory about oxidation I learned that some cells (such as the brain and muscles) are unable to be replaced after birth, even when damaged. In my opinion, this helps explain why aging is typically defined in terms of brain and muscle functionality as age allows more damage to occur and accumulate. I look forward to hearing what everyone else has to say about the processes mentioned in the reading as well as hopefully gaining a better understanding of some of the biological processes discussed (especially about the glucose damage).