How does the enzyme telomerase meet the challenge of replicating the ends of linear chromosomes? It adds a single 5' cap structure that resists degradation by nucleases. It adds numerous GC pairs, which resist hydrolysis and maintain chromosome integrity. It causes specific double-strand DNA breaks that result in blunt ends on both strands. It catalyzes the lengthening of telomeres, compensating for the shortening that could occur during replication without telomerase activity.

Name: How does the enzyme telomerase meet the challenge of replicating the e
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Description: How does the enzyme telomerase meet the challenge of replicating the ends of linear chromosomes? It adds a single 5' cap structure that resists degradation by nucleases. It adds numerous GC pairs, which resist hydrolysis and maintain chromosome int

A telomere is the end of a chromosome which is made of repetitive sequence of non coding DNA which helps to protect the chromosome from damage. In humans, the telomere sequence is TTAGGG and this sequence is repeated around three thousand times. Thus they help in the protection of our DNA by forming a cap. Whenever a cell undergoes DNA replication, the chromosomes get shortened by about 25-200 bases. If telomeres were not there our DNA would have been affected. But because of the telomere protecting the ends of the DNA, it is only the telomere region that is lost and our DNA remains unaffected. The problem lies in the fact that as we age, telomeres gets lost as every replication cycle leads to the loss of bases in the telomeric ends of each chromosome. If the telomeres become to short, the chromosomes reach a critical length where it can no longer be replicated. Thus, on reachong the critical length, apoptosis is triggered. An enzyme called telomerase functions to add telomere sequence (TTAGGG) to the ends of chromosome. Thus, it helps in maintaining the telomere length. Therefore, the correct answer is the last option ‘It catalyzes the lengthening of telomeres, compensating for the shortening that could occur during replication without telomerase activity’. First option is not correct because addition by telomerase is not a single 5' cap. It adds the telomere sequence to the ends of the chromosome. Second option is also not correct as telomerase adds TTAGGG telomere sequence to the ends of chromosome. Third option is also not correct because double strand breaks in DNA are caused by restriction enzymes.

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		It adds a single 5' cap structure that resists degradation by nucleases.
		It adds numerous GC pairs, which resist hydrolysis and maintain chromosome integrity.
		It causes specific double-strand DNA breaks that result in blunt ends on both strands.
		It catalyzes the lengthening of telomeres, compensating for the shortening that could occur during replication without telomerase activity.