Telomere
A telomere is a region of highly repetitive
DNA at the end of a linear
chromosome that functions as a disposable buffer. Every time linear chromosomes are
replicated during late
S phase, the
DNA polymerase complex is incapable of replicating all the way to the end of the chromosome; if it were not for telomeres, this would quickly result in the loss of vital
genetic information, which is needed to sustain a
cell's activities. Every time a cell with linear chromosomes divides, it will lose a small piece of one of its strands of DNA. This process has been referred to by
James Watson and Alexei Olovnikov as the "end replication problem" (1971). It is believed that telomeres have a function in the
ageing process.
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telomere
Noun
1. either (free) end of a eukaryotic chromosome; "telomeres act as caps to keep the sticky ends of chromosomes from randomly clumping together"
(hypernym) end
(part-holonym) chromosome
Telomere
The end of a chromosome. The ends of chromosomes are specialized structures that are involved in the replication and stability of DNA molecules.
Telomere
The end of eukaryotic chromosome consisting of tandemly repeated sequences. Chromosomes lose about 100 bp from telomere every time the cell divides. The enzyme telomerase can add the lost bases.