Note the abbreviation “kb” means kilobases as in thousands of base pairs. So 3 kb = 3000 base pairs. At a conference I spoke at recently, I was asked why telomerase does not replicate the “full DNA duplex of telomeres”. I was not sure if they were asking why telomeres shorten, if there is an …
Telomeres protect the genetic information by multiple methods. First, as cited below, DNA polymerase cannot replicate the ends of the chromosome. DNA polymerase is actually “too large” to stay on the single-stranded overhang of DNA that is left and literally falls off the end of the chromosome. There are biochemical and electromagnetic reasons it separates. …
How do telomeres protect the ends of the chromosome? Read More »
Did you ever wonder why we have “bad genes”. I mean, think of it. If our genetics is supposed to help us survive, why are there such things as bad genes, and more importantly, why do they persist? If you believe in natural selection and evolution, then only the best of the gene pool should …
Telomeres junk? Not long ago some of the brightest minds on earth believed telomeres were nothing more than junk whose sole purpose was to protect the treasure — your DNA. It turns out that junk IS the treasure. Without it there is no life. Many of those great minds may pretend they “knew it all …