I don't believe that there is such a point because death is the result of something going wrong with the body, like a disease or accident, not some sort of reverse-growing process. You could say that you "grow" until all the functions of your body are developed (brain, organs, etc.) into their adult forms and then you begin dying when cancer develops, or in the split second when you have a car crash and your organs are all jostled around and such. Very interesting question. : )
Floydian is right, every single cell in your body has a predetermined "expiration date". The process by which this occurs is called apoptosis. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apoptosis
WELL NOW, to be completely honest, as my biology teacher back in the good old days said, our bodies are dying while we are awake, and the only time we are fully healthy, and fully there, is when we are completely asleep. Think about it....You are dying right now...Ever single second you sit at this pathetic computer, you are dying slowly. You stay awake for too long, and you will never be able to live again...Worthless bunch of bull isn't it? To live life means that you are dying...But to sleep eternally, means that you never lived life....Yeah, that's a mind fuck.
Well, that's a little flawed only in that if you have a pre-existing condition that's killing you, even in your sleep you're dying. Moreover, even if you are sleeping time is still ticking for your body and your systems, eventually they will shut down and you will die whether you "lived life" or not. Plus, what your teacher probably meant was when you're asleep your body is rebuilding, but the systems that rebuild can also die since there are LOTS of cells with LOTS of jobs in your body. Not just a switch for build/die. One last thought, sleeping for long periods of times will cause a degeneration of every single part of your body since it's never getting any USE. It would be the same effects seen on people who are bed ridden.
thinking more about it....a toddler is developing and maturing yet they are still moving closer to their "Death Date" i'll rephrase the question.... after you are done maturing and physically growing....when do you actually begin "dying"
We are all slowly dying! No, but seriously, I would say it's different for every individual. I know people who have, sadly, died from cancer at the age of 14, whereas my great aunt lived a long, healthy life until she was in her 90's. It really depends on the individual's genes, health, and probably even their attitude.
Popular theory says that it begins the very second you draw your FIRST breath. Our job is to make the MOST of it that you can.
