Soledad Mexia
Encyclopedia
Soledad Mexia is a supercentenarian
now living in San Diego. She is the oldest verified living person born in Mexico and the oldest person in California
.
Due to her longevity, scientists affiliated with the Gerontology Research Group
in Los Angeles, UCLA, and Stanford took blood samples from Mexia and her family members. This is part of a study comparing gene
s from supercentenarians with a control group, looking for evidence of genes that protect against common fatal illnesses.
Mexia is the mother of seven, grandmother of 24, great-grandmother of 45 and great-great-grandmother of two. Her great grandniece is Blanca Alcalá
, the former mayor of Puebla
, Mexico.
She suffered a wound in her leg in the spring of 2010 and in late July, as the wound failed to respond to antibiotic
s, her leg was amputated below the knee.
Supercentenarian
A supercentenarian is someone who has reached the age of 110 years. This age is achieved by about one in a thousand centenarians....
now living in San Diego. She is the oldest verified living person born in Mexico and the oldest person in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Due to her longevity, scientists affiliated with the Gerontology Research Group
Gerontology Research Group
The Gerontology Research Group was started in 1990, and is a global eGroup of researchers in gerontology, some of who also meet monthly at UCLA in Los Angeles, California. The primary function of the group is to further gerontology research, with the objective of reversing or retarding aging...
in Los Angeles, UCLA, and Stanford took blood samples from Mexia and her family members. This is part of a study comparing gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
s from supercentenarians with a control group, looking for evidence of genes that protect against common fatal illnesses.
Mexia is the mother of seven, grandmother of 24, great-grandmother of 45 and great-great-grandmother of two. Her great grandniece is Blanca Alcalá
Blanca Alcalá
Blanca Alcalá Ruiz is a Mexican politician. From 2008 to 2011, she served as the mayor of Puebla, the capital city of the State of Puebla in Mexico.-Education:...
, the former mayor of Puebla
Puebla
Puebla officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 217 municipalities and its capital city is Puebla....
, Mexico.
She suffered a wound in her leg in the spring of 2010 and in late July, as the wound failed to respond to antibiotic
Antibiotic
An antibacterial is a compound or substance that kills or slows down the growth of bacteria.The term is often used synonymously with the term antibiotic; today, however, with increased knowledge of the causative agents of various infectious diseases, antibiotic has come to denote a broader range of...
s, her leg was amputated below the knee.