A cap structure at the ends of chromosomes consisting of short repeated sequences with strand asymmetry in GC content, resulting in one G-rich strand and one C-rich strand
End of a chromosome In vertebrate cells, each telomere consists of thousands of copies of the same DNA sequence, repeated again and again Telomeres become shorter each time a cell divides; when one or more telomeres reaches a minimum length, cell division stops This mechanism limits the number of times a cell can divide
a complex of repetitive DNA sequences that cap the ends of chromosomes Telomeres play a role in cellular replication via the telomerase enzyme, which helps determine whether cells are able to replicate Telomeres shorten each time a cell divides, and signal cell senescence (loss of function) when they reach a critical length
The terminal part of a eukaryotic chromosome, consisting of a few hundred base pairs with a defined structure Telomeres are important for maintaining chromosomal structure and stability, as they permit replication of the ends of the linear DNA molecule
telomeres
Etymologie
[ 'te-l&-"mir, 'tE- ] (noun.) 1940. International Scientific Vocabulary.