| activity theory | Humans flourish/thrive through interactions with others and physical activity, and suffer in the absence of such stimulation.
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| ageism | Stereotyping or unfair treatment of individuals or groups because of their age.
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| aging by program | Theory that we age because aging is programmed into us.
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| Alzheimer's disease | Brain disease involving progressive, irreversible loss of neurons and manifesting as impaired memory, judgment, decision making, orientation to the environment, and language.
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| arthritis | Tissue inflammation in and around the joints.
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| autoimmunity | Process by which the immune system in the body rejects the body's own tissue.
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| cataracts | Thickening of the eye lenses; cause blurred, cloudy vision.
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| collagen | Major connective tissue in the body; provides the elasticity in human skin and blood vessels.
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| cross-linkage theory | The theory that, when cross-links are formed between peptides, the proteins are altered, often for the worse.
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| dementia | Deterioration of cognitive function over time caused by brain infection or disease.
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| despair | The negative resolution of Erikson's last stage; individuals look back over their lives and feel that they have made many wrong decisions or no decisions at all and see life as lacking integrity.
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| disengagement theory | The elderly will remove themselves from many social networks.
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| explicit memory | Refers to facts and experiences that a person can remember and share.
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| gerontology | The field of science that deals with issues, problems, and diseases specific to older adults.
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| glaucoma | Damage to the optic nerve caused by pressure that results from a buildup of fluid in the eye.
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| homeostatic imbalance | Theory that aging is due to a failure in the systems that regulate the proper interaction of the organs.
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| implicit memory | Refers to an unconscious or automatic process of remembering.
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| integrity | The resolution of each of the first seven crises in Erikson's theory should lead to the achievement of a sense of personal integrity. Older adults who have a sense of integrity feel their lives have been well spent.
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| life expectancy | The number of years that a person born in a specific year is expected to live.
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| macular degeneration | An eye disease that affects the retina, impacting the center of a person's field of vision.
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| osteoporosis | A condition in which bones are thin and brittle due to calcium loss.
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| prospective memory | The process of remembering to do something in the future.
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| reaction time | The time between the presence of a stimulus and the actual muscle activity that indicates a reaction to it.
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| retrospective memory | Memory of past event or item.
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| role discontinuity | Abrupt and disruptive change caused by conflicts among one's various roles in life.
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| socioemotional selectivity theory | Humans use social contact for four reasons: to ensure physical survival, to gain information, to maintain a sense of self, and to acquire pleasure and comfort.
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| wisdom | Superior insight and judgment that can come only from experience.
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