How the body Ages. The nucleus of every cell has 23 pairs of chromosomes. And they contain DNA or the genetic material of the cell. A prime cause of ageing is every cell’s chromosomes are capped with a protein button called a telomere. As individuals age, these telomeres wear out and fray, slowing and halting the ability of the cells chromosomes to divide and make new cells. Normally, cells divide 75 times over a lifetime and afterwards the cell dies.