NEET BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -A telomere is a region of repetitive DNA sequences at the end of a chromosome. Telomeres protect the ends of chromosomes from becoming frayed or tangled. Each time a cell divides, the telomeres become slightly shorter. Eventually, they become so short that the cell can no longer divide successfully, and the cell dies.

Detailed explanation-2: -When we think of the DNA that makes up our chromosomes, we usually focus on our genes. But at the end of every chromosome in our body lies a long chain of repetitive DNA called a telomere, which acts as a protective cap.

Detailed explanation-3: -Telomeres can be thought of as protective caps for chromosomes that are composed of repeated DNA sequences bound by a series of specialized telomere proteins (Fig. 1) [1]. The telomere proteins prevent the chromosome terminus from being seen as DNA damage and initiating a DNA damage response.

Detailed explanation-4: -Telomeres are the protective caps on the ends of the strands of DNA called chromosomes, which house our genomes. In young humans, telomeres are about 8, 000-10, 000 nucleotides long. They shorten with each cell division, however, and when they reach a critical length the cell stops dividing or dies.

Detailed explanation-5: -Telomeres, the specific DNA–protein structures found at both ends of each chromosome, protect genome from nucleolytic degradation, unnecessary recombination, repair, and interchromosomal fusion. Telomeres therefore play a vital role in preserving the information in our genome.