The germ-line cells that propagate our genes are immortal in the sense that a tiny fraction of them are used to create the next generation of both somatic and germ-line cells by sexual reproduction, which effectively resets the aging clock. In each generation, our bodies, or our soma, are simply vessels to facilitate the propagation of our genes, and they become dispensable once they have fulfilled their purpose. The death of an animal or a human is really the death of the vessel.
