Everyone has heard of chromosomes. It is less well-known that there are telomeres at the ends of these chromosomes.
Everyone has heard of chromosomes. It is less well-known that there are telomeres at the ends of these chromosomes.
Protection during cell division
Telomeres are series of repeating pieces of DNA at the tips of chromosomes. They protect the chromosomes during cell division. Telomere comes from the Greek ‘telos’ (end) and ‘meros’ (part). Our DNA is divided amongst various chromosomes. Humans have 46 chromosomes in each cell. The genes, with our hereditary characteristics, are in these chromosomes.
Increasingly shorter copies
Before a cell divides into two, it makes a copy of all the chromosomes. The tip of the chromosome becomes a little bit shorter during each cell division. There are telomeres at the tips to protect our genes. This ensures that no important genes are lost during cell division but only bits of ‘unimportant’ telomeres. The genes are not even damaged in the process. After about 50 to 60 cell divisions, the telomere is so short that the chromosome falls apart. This triggers all sorts of self-destructive processes and the cell dies.