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Part 1: What are Telomeres? What is their function?

Simply put, telomeres are like the plastic tips at the end of shoelaces.

Structure and Location: Telomeres are complexes of repetitive, non-coding DNA sequences (TTAGGG in humans) and proteins located at the ends of our chromosomes. Each chromosome has two of these “caps.”
Core Function: Protecting Genetic Information
Imagine a shoelace; if the plastic tips fall off, the lace begins to fray. Similarly, every time a cell divides and replicates its DNA, a small portion of the chromosome’s end cannot be fully copied. Telomeres act as a “buffer zone” or “sacrificial region,” protecting the vital, gene-carrying DNA sequences from being eroded and lost.
Role as the “Mitotic Clock”
As cells continuously divide, telomeres progressively shorten. When a telomere shortens to a critical length, the cell receives a “stop dividing” signal and enters a state of senescence or initiates apoptosis (programmed cell death). This is a crucial mechanism for preventing damaged cells from proliferating uncontrollably (like cancer cells). Therefore, telomere length is considered a biomarker of cellular aging.

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