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What is telomerase. In what cells is telomerase normally functioning?
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What does the telomerase enzyme do?
Telomerase maintains the telomeres of chromosomes in order to prevent cell death. This enzyme added sequences onto the ends of the chromosomes, thereby preventing extreme shortening and loss of genetic material. In a way, telomerase would give cells immortal life, by continuously regenerating its ends. However, telomerase are usually inactive in the human body because normal cells do not divide frequently, and therefore, the chromosomes do not shorten.
What types of cells express the telomerase?
cells that replenish the lining of the gut
Why doesn't cancer cells lose telomere while normal cells do?
A critical event in the later stages of carcinogenesis is the reactivation of the enzyme telomerase. Telomerase is usually only active during development when it sets up a normal length of telomeres in all of our cells before and immediately after we are born. Cancer cells, however, use telomerases to avoid death by telomere shortening. When cancer cells evade tumour suppression, it continues dividing and suffer telomere shortening until it reaches a state called 'crisis' when normal cells would automatically die. Cancer cells, however, can endure crisis at the cost of losing its telomeres. When telomeres are lost, repair mechanisms attach chromosomes to each other to avoid further shortening of the chromosomes. However, this highly anomalous event only causes the chromosomes to rip apart at random locations during the next replication cycle and induce genomic instability. This result of the instability is the random relocalization of fradments of chromosomes and eventually this can lead to the death of the cell or the reactivation of telomerase due to a random mutation (such as one that puts the telomerase gene under the promotion of a highly transcribed gene). This model has been scientifically verified since most malignant cancers are telomerase positive and interestingly, some laboratories that immortalize human cells for study also had to reactivate telomerase in these cells through a process of induced crisis.
What is made of amino acids and work to keep cells functioning properly?
Proteins are made of amino acids, and work to keep cells functioning.
Why does telomerase need to have a built-in template for DNA synthesis?
Telomerase is involved in adding DNA to the end of the lagging strand.
What does the telomerase enzyme do?
Telomerase maintains the telomeres of chromosomes in order to prevent cell death. This enzyme added sequences onto the ends of the chromosomes, thereby preventing extreme shortening and loss of genetic material. In a way, telomerase would give cells immortal life, by continuously regenerating its ends. However, telomerase are usually inactive in the human body because normal cells do not divide frequently, and therefore, the chromosomes do not shorten.
What types of cells express the telomerase?
cells that replenish the lining of the gut
How are cancerous cells different from other cells?
contain high level of telomerase enzyme
What enzyme is present in cancer cells which scientists believe allows the cancer cells?
D. Telomerase
Why does cancer grow out of control?
cancer cells it produce an enzyme (telomerase) that make cells dividing uncontrolled.
What enzyme is present in cancer cells which scientists believe allows the cancer cells to keep growing indefinitely?
It is telomerase
Enzyme responsible for indefinite growth of human cancer cells?
Telomerase is responsible for indefinite growth of human cancer cells.
Explain how the knowledge of telomerase may lead to an effective treatment for cancer?
It is believed that extreme shortening of chromosomes due to genetic abnormalities may actually trigger cancer. Such frequent shortening of the telomeres may actually cause the telomerase enzyme to activate. This may sound like something good for the cell, but in reality, the telomerase can aid in preserving cancerous cells, giving them infinite life so that they may divide and proliferate.
Why doesn't cancer cells lose telomere while normal cells do?
A critical event in the later stages of carcinogenesis is the reactivation of the enzyme telomerase. Telomerase is usually only active during development when it sets up a normal length of telomeres in all of our cells before and immediately after we are born. Cancer cells, however, use telomerases to avoid death by telomere shortening. When cancer cells evade tumour suppression, it continues dividing and suffer telomere shortening until it reaches a state called 'crisis' when normal cells would automatically die. Cancer cells, however, can endure crisis at the cost of losing its telomeres. When telomeres are lost, repair mechanisms attach chromosomes to each other to avoid further shortening of the chromosomes. However, this highly anomalous event only causes the chromosomes to rip apart at random locations during the next replication cycle and induce genomic instability. This result of the instability is the random relocalization of fradments of chromosomes and eventually this can lead to the death of the cell or the reactivation of telomerase due to a random mutation (such as one that puts the telomerase gene under the promotion of a highly transcribed gene). This model has been scientifically verified since most malignant cancers are telomerase positive and interestingly, some laboratories that immortalize human cells for study also had to reactivate telomerase in these cells through a process of induced crisis.
Is telomerase a ribozyme?
No, it is an enzyme. Some textbooks claim it to be a ribozyme, but it is definitely an cellular enzyme. It has a reverse transcriptase part and a rna part. it uses the rna part as a primer and elongates the 3' end of a DNA strand which has been shortened during replication. It is usually not expressed in eucryotic cells but is active in proliferating eucaryotic cells such as germ cells. In tumor cells telomerase may be re-activated and thus the cell proliferates unrestrainedly.
Are specialized cells?
cells are speacialized by doing the functioning in the body.
What is the antonym of impaired?
Unimpaired, functioning normally.
