Immortality+(Liz)



(Chromosome #14)

TEP1, or Telomerase Protein Component 1, is a gene product which is a part of a ribonucleoprotein complex that is used for telomerase activity. It catalyzes the newly added telomeres on the ends of chromosomes. The use of telomerase may either cause senescence in cells, or even turn cells immortal (such as cancer, tumors, etc). In one of our previous chapters (cell division) we learned about telomeres, and how cells age and are copied, the telomeres shorten. When they shorten, they cause issues in copying and then BOOM. Parts of the DNA are not copied because they have been lost. (This causes diseases such as Alzheimers and Arthritis). The longer the telomeres, it would normally determine how long someone would live; but sometimes, that's not the case. It all depends on how well your body systems work together AS WELL AS the ability of your cells to divide/DNA copying.

VOCAB!
 * Telomere-** The segment/section of DNA that is found at the end of a chromosome and serves as protection against deletion

"But every time a chromosome is copied, a little bit of the telomere is left off." (p. 197)

As I was reading this chapter, I found it interesting that when scientists measure life, they measure it as how many times our heart beats. All in all, living creatures live for the same approximate amount of heart beats. This shows why elephants live much longer than birds, but also, they have about the same number of heart beats throughout their lifetime.