Telomeres+and+Aging

Telomeres and Aging:
Telomeres and in particular Telomere shortening and lengthening are the key principles and the main focus of research when investigating the potential impact on aging, and age related diseases. As the average Telomere length is ‘set’ and is generally maintained in cells that excrete a high number of Telomerase, however it is understood that as the cell ages, so does the length of the Telomere shorten. The length of the Telomere, or lack-there-of, is used to determine the lineage of a cell and/or ‘precursor-product relationships as well as the rate of cell division’ ( Hodes, R.J. 1999). This means that based on the amount of cell division, which is indicated by the length of the Telomere, it is possible to monitor diseases and through careful study, actually anticipate when the disease will progress through to its next stage, as well as anticipate how many division are left before the cell dies. This is useful in age related diseases, but is perhaps most beneficial in the field of cancer treatment, another aspect of current Telomere research. It is the shortening of the Telomere through chromosome replication that allows for this research to happen.



By Joshua Campe

References:
Autexier, C. (2008) 'Telomeres, Telomerase and Aging' [Online]. __Health Plexus__. Available: [] [Accessed 6 November 2011]

Hodes, R.J. (1999) ‘Telomere Length, Aging, and Somatic Cell Turnover’ [Online]. __The Rockefeller University Press__. Available: [] [Accessed 5 November 2011].