How much of my body from 40 years ago remains part of me today?

When thinking about how much of your body gets turned over, it depends on whether you are talking about teeth, brain cells or even memories say our readers

4 January 2023

CX3N1D three 3 old men friends talking arguing discuss — Peter Cavanagh/Alamy

I am 65. Assuming that I still weigh what I did at 25 (I wish!), what percentage of material from 40 years ago remains as part of me today?

@Nik_Henville

via Twitter

While the “average” cell in our bodies lasts between seven and 10 years, the range is from 4 to 8 hours for immune cells called granulocytes to a full human lifetime for some neurons.

But percentage-wise, not a lot of your 25-year-old self remains.

James Stone
Great Hucklow, Derbyshire, UK

Maybe there is no need to worry about how much of the biological material from your youth…