Life span A life span , life expectancy , or life cycle is the maximum or average length of time a lifeform , material , or object is projected or capable of living or lasting . Having an effectively unlimited lifespan is referred to as Immortality . The lifespan of humanoid species is known to vary from less than a decade to as long as several millennia . Some non - corporeal species have been known to have lifespans exceeding several millennia . Generally speaking , a life cycle is marked by the process of aging , which begins at birth and ends with death – either prematurely or naturally . Comparative life spans . The Capellan flower , native of Capella IV , had a life span of only a few hours . ( ) The swarming moth s of Gonal IV had a life span of only twenty hours . Jay Gordon Graas analyzed the insect s ' life span as part of his primary school science fair project in 2368 . ( ) The Lyssarian Desert Larvae , after becoming a mimetic simbiot , exactly replicated the life cycle of the species it was mimicking at a rapidly accelerated rate . On average , the simbiot was born , grew old , and died in approximately fifteen days . ( ) The Ocampa had a lifespan of only nine years . ( ) Suspiria developed technology that helped extend the Ocampa life span ; ' father , for example , lived to be twenty years of age . ( ) Following an autopsy of a Xindi - Insectoid , Doctor Phlox projected that this species of Xindi only had the lifespan of about twelve Earth years . He then suggested that the Insectoid he conducted his autopsy on was about ten years of age , and was likely an " Honored Elder . " ( ) Most Jem ' Hadar died young in battle ; as such , it was rare for them to live past fifteen years of age . Few ever lived to the age of twenty , and those who do were awarded the title " Honored Elders . " As of the Dominion War , No Jem ' Hadar had ever lived to the age of 30 . ( ) Trill could live at least one hundred years . ( ) During the 24th century , Bajoran s could live to at least one hundred years . Els Renora was one such individual to live to the century mark . ( ) Ferengi might live over a century . ( ) Antaran s of the 22nd century were thought to generally live at least sixty years . ( ) One Drayan was ninety six years old when she reached the natural end of her life . ( ) The average Human life span had gradually increased during their history . The average life spans during the 22nd century was about one hundred years . ( ) This average age was still roughly the same during the 2250 , but had risen to 120 by the mid - 24th century . However , at some point in history the average lifespan for Humans was only 35 , and by 1999 it had become higher than a millennium earlier . ( ; ) Leonard McCoy had by 2364 reached the age of 137 . ( ) Despite the normal limit on Human age , at least one Human , Flint , lived for six thousand years for unknown reasons which were somehow dependent on the Earth ' s environment . ( ) Another exception were Human Augment s , who had life spans twice as long as those of regular 22nd century Humans . ( ) Klingon s were capable of living well over a century in age . Individuals such as Kang , Koloth , Kor , and Arne Darvin lived well over one hundred years . ( ) Vulcan s were known to have life spans of two hundred years , which was considered to be exceptionally long by Federation standards . ( ; ) Sarek of lived to be 203 years of age . ( ) However , at some point in their history , the average lifespan of Vulcans was only 40 . ( ) . scoffed at the idea of Mestral , a Vulcan who lived on Earth beginning in the 20th century , remained there for the rest of his life , which could have been longer than 150 years . Tucker was especially averse to the idea that a Vulcan could live the rest of his lifespan on Earth , unnoticed , from the 1950s through a period of time that included the terms of 30 United States Presidents . ( ) Krenim could live at least two hundred years . ( ) At least one Kriosian , Briam , reached two hundred years , which was considered old . ( ) The Talosian s had life spans that were many times that of a Human ' s . ( ) Trill symbiont s were capable of living at least over 550 years . Trill hosts however tended to live significantly shorter than the symbiont , resulting in a symbiont usually occupying many different hosts during its lifetime . Changeling s had an expected life span of at least several centuries . ( The Axanar had an average life span of 400 years . ( ) Tarquin ' s species also lived for at least four hundred years . Tarquin remarked that few species have lifespans as long as his . ( ) El - Aurian s life spans were at least several hundred years . ( ) Guinan was also on Earth during the late 19th century , making her at least 490 years old . ( ) . The El - Aurian Doctor Tolian Soran was reported to be " over three hundred years old " in his biographical information . ( ) The Redjac entity had an extremely long lifespan , at least 379 years . It was speculated by Spock to be virtually immortal . ( ) While the lifespan of regular Horta is unknown , the Mother Horta lived for 50 , 000 years . ) Cheron native s were also known to be extremely long lived . Bele claimed to have pursued Lokai for more than 50 , 000 years ( ) Bevvox , a bioplasmic organism who lived alone for a few millennia , was said to be somewhat sensitive about his age . ( ) Another type of bioplasmic organism , the Telepathic pitcher plant , was estimated to be at least 200 , 000 years old . ( ) A Magnetic organism was found to have survived on a derelict ship for 300 , 000 , 000 years . ( ) Borg life spans were the natural life span of whatever species the drone was originally assimilated from , except when the individual was assimilated as a child , in which case maturation was accelerated . ( ) Denobulan life spans were never specified , Phlox once told Archer that they live " a long time " . Additionally Phlox had to treat an patient whose species Denobulans had fought many times in the past , the Antarans ( ) . Phlox stated that his grandmother had lived through the last war , which was earlier stated as having occurred three hundred years previously . Reduction of lifespan . Several natural and unnatural conditions have been encountered that are known to hasten the aging process . For example , radiation has been known to accelerate aging , dramatically . ( ) In 2365 , a freak Thelusian flu antibody reaction caused a similarly rapid aging . ( ) Delta radiation , emitted by mirror universe warp five engine s , was also very harmful . It was said that , for each year a Human spent working next to a warp core , he lost a decade of his life . ( ) For slow and fatal diseases , a revised life expectancy was also usually given . As part of a ( possibly false ) diagnosis of Tuvan Syndrome , Koval was expected to live another 20 or 25 years . ( ) After Quark was diagnosed with Dorek Syndrome , he was told that he had only about six days to live . ( ) More humorously , Julian Bashir claimed that , due to the extreme old age associated with winning , the life expectancy for a Carrington Award winner was five to ten years . ( ) More elementary , lifestyle conditions could also drastically reduce life expectancy . The life expectancy for prisoners sent to Rura Penthe was six months to a year . ( ) Extension of lifespan . Likewise , several methods have also been found to slow the aging process , such as the life prolongation project , albeit with negative side effects . ( ) . According to Jadzia Dax , regularly eating steamed Azna would add years to your life . ( ) On the Dinaali homeworld some people were given Cytoglobin injections to prevent arterial aging and thus increase life expectancy by 40 % . ( ) Doctor Elias Giger claimed that his cellular regeneration and entertainment chamber could effectively grant immortality , but this claim was considered dubious by the Federation scientific establishment . ( ) . The Son ' a also applied intriguing methods of enhancing their life spans . ( ) The Kobliad , a dying race due to cellular degeneration , were able to nonetheless prolong their lifespan using deuridium to stabilize their cell structure . A Kobliad named Rao Vantika went further and tried to prolong his death by experimenting with rejuvenation drug s , cryogenics , and organ transplant s . ( ) Bathar of Hodos , a salesman traveling the Delta Quadrant in the 24th century , claimed to have a formula that stopped the aging process . In reality it was only a tripolymer enzyme though . ( ) Apart from actual changes in the pace of aging , The use of technologies like cryonics , stasis chambers and even transporter s have allowed individuals to temporary suspend their lives and therefore live into eras their normal lifespans would not have normally allowed them to live . ( ; ; ) There also existed spatial anomalies , such as the Nexus , which trapped people within alternate temporal realities thereby continuing their lifespan beyond normal measure and under special circumstance could allow them to occupy a later time - space than their genetics would normally allow . ( ) Suspiria helped the Ocampa develop a technology to extend their lifespan . and his father lived to 14 and 20 respectively . ( )