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Glite Dictionary
telomerase

telomerase

2 9.7
An enzyme that adds protective ends to chromosomes after cells divide
  • noun
  • /tɪˈloʊməreɪs/
  • Specialized
: telomerasa
  • Telomerase is simply an enzyme that performs a function: helping cells to divide.
  • telomerase-producing cells
  • telomeres and active telomerase
  • telomerase activity

The catch is that cancer cells also use telomerase on the way to immortality.

Examples

  • The results of adding telomerase to these cells were striking—the cells regained their proliferative potential, ignoring the Hayflick limits.

    Academic text (1998)

  • The catch is that cancer cells also use telomerase on the way to immortality.

    Big Think

  • Measuring telomerase levels, for example, can be used to track cancer progression.

    Academic text (1998)

  • Old cells, like mine, can be made young again by reactivating the telomerase gene.

    Blog text (20)

  • So do most cancer cells, which are notorious for having long telomeres and active telomerase.

    Academic text (1998)

  • Overall, the lack of telomerase compromised chromosome stability and the integrity of cells that normally divide often.

    Academic text (1998)

  • To keep telomeres big enough to protect their chromosomes, telomerases keep adding more DNA to them.

    Blog text (26)

  • Because telomerase is critical to maintaining cellular stability and cell division, altering this enzyme's activity may have varied uses.

    Academic text (1998)

  • Meditation seems to affect the production of the enzyme telomerase, which in turn builds telomeres, the endpoints of each chromosome.

    Blog text (15)

  • The enzyme telomerase adds telomeres to the ends of chromosomes, which helps maintain genetic stability after cell division.

Surface Forms

telomerase singular
telomerases plural

Morphology

telomerase = telomere (transparent) = telomere + ase

The word is formed regularly by adding the enzyme suffix '-ase' to 'telomere', so its meaning is directly 'an enzyme acting on telomeres'.

Etymology

Telomerase comes from telomere and the ending -ase. Telomere comes from Greek telos 'end' and meros 'part', so it means 'end part', and -ase marks an enzyme. So telomerase is an enzyme that adds protective pieces to the 'ends' of chromosomes, which is why it keeps chromosome ends from getting shorter.