Synonyms
Definition
The enzyme that acts to maintain the end of DNA molecules in the chromosomes of eukaryotes.
Introduction
Telomeres are the strands of DNA at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes. They consist of sequences that repeat, although the specific sequence varies by species of eukaryote. They perform several important functions. One of the most crucial is the protection of chromosomes from exonuclease enzymes, which are capable of degrading the terminal regions of chromosomes. Additionally, they ensure that the natural repair systems of DNA do not detect the ends of chromosomes and join them together. Therefore, telomeres ensure that chromosomes remain intact and that DNA replicates efficiently and effectively (Moyzis et al. 1988).
Because of the way that DNA replicates, telomeres should get progressively shorter with each successive round of replication. This is because DNA can only be copied in one direction, which causes the other strand...
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References
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Marshall, R. (2017). Telomerase. In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_2362-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_2362-1
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