What is the telomere?

The telomere is a region of repetitive nucleotide sequences located at the ends of chromosomes. These sequences protect the chromosomes from degradation, damage, and fusion with other chromosomes during cell division. Telomeres act as a buffer zone, ensuring that essential genetic material within the chromosomes is not lost as a result of DNA replication. Each chromosome has two telomeres, one at each end, which are gradually shortened with each round of cell division. Telomeres play a key role in the aging process and in the regulation of cellular division.