telomere

noun

Etymology: From telo- (“end”) + -mere (“part”).

1. Either of the sequences of DNA at each end of a eukaryotic chromosome.

   “2004, Peter M. Lansdorp, 11: Telomeres and Telomere Regulation, Robert Paul Lanza (editor), Handbook of Stem Cells, Volume 2: Adult and Fetal Stem Cells, page 127, Chromosome ends or telomeres are composed of guanine-rich repeat sequences and associated proteins. A minimum number of repeats is essential for proper telomere function and to avoid sustained activation of DNA damage pathways that may result in replicative senescence or cell death.”

   “It has been known for some time that when cells divide, causing chromosomes to duplicate, telomeres get shorter. The more a cell divides, then, the shorter the telomeres become.”