Brain Aging and Performance Plasticity in Honeybees

Aging is an intrinsic functional decline (senescence) that ultimately leads to death. For worker castes of the honeybee (Apis mellifera), the best studied social invertebrate, research has revealed a stunning diversity of longevity and aging patterns. Due to the long tradition that learning and memory research has with this animal model, it is not surprising that aging studies make use of the well-established experimental tools to assess functional deterioration. In this chapter, we review recent work that connects social factors to highly plastic brain aging, exemplified by patterns of behavioral and cellular senescence in honeybee workers. We also discuss how specific advantages of the honeybee model can be applied in the search for treatments that may extend life and promote health.