What do telomeres do?

Telomeres protect the ends of chromosomes by preventing them from deteriorating or fusing with other chromosomes. They act as a buffer zone during DNA replication, as the DNA replication machinery cannot fully replicate the very ends of chromosomes. Over time, with each cell division, telomeres shorten slightly. The telomere serves as a mechanism to limit the number of times a cell can divide, contributing to cellular aging and acting as a safeguard against genomic instability. When telomeres become critically short, cells typically enter a state of senescence or undergo apoptosis. Thus, telomeres help maintain chromosomal stability and protect against unregulated cell growth.