Human longevity is the result of combined actions by many factors including genetics, environment and so on. Although longevity can take its natural course, it can be extended with social and scientific advances. This review presents the recent progress in longevity studies, especially on the research of longevity related genes in model species. It also summarizes the research of longevity related genes in humans in both the nuclear and mitochondrial genome. The prospect and strategy of human longevity research is also discussed.