Eternal Youth - Telomeres

Telomeres

An individual's DNA plays a role in the aging process. Aging starts as soon as one is born. As soon as cells start to die and begin to need to be replaced. On the ends of each chromosome are repetitive sequences of DNA, telomeres, that protect the chromosome from joining with other chromosomes and have several key roles. One of these roles is to regulate cell division by allowing each cell division to take a small amount of genetic code off. The amount taken off varies by the type off cell being replicated. The slow wearing away of the telomeres restricts cell division to 40-60 times, also known as the Hayflick Limit. Once this limit has been reached more cells die than can be replaced in the same amount of time. Thus soon after this limit is reached the organism dies. The importance of telomeres is now clearly evident, lengthen the telomeres, lengthen the life.

Studies have shown that 90 percent of cancer cells contain large amounts of an enzyme called telomerase. Telomerase is an enzyme that replenishes the worn away telomeres by adding bases to the ends and thus renewing the telomere. A cancer cell has in essence, turned on the telomerase gene, and this allows them to have an unlimited amount of divisions without the telomeres wearing away. Other kinds of cells that can surpass the Hayflick Limit are: stem cells, hair follicles, and germ cells. This is because they contain raised amounts of telomerase.