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Related Concept Videos

Telomeres and Telomerase02:41

Telomeres and Telomerase

In eukaryotic DNA replication, a single-stranded DNA fragment remains at the end of a chromosome after the removal of the final primer. This section of DNA cannot be replicated in the same manner as the rest of the strand because there is no 3’ end to which the newly synthesized DNA can attach. This non-replicated fragment results in gradual loss of the chromosomal DNA during each cell duplication. Additionally, it can induce a DNA damage response by enzymes that recognize single-stranded DNA.
Telomeres and Telomerase02:41

Telomeres and Telomerase

In eukaryotic DNA replication, a single-stranded DNA fragment remains at the end of a chromosome after the removal of the final primer. This section of DNA cannot be replicated in the same manner as the rest of the strand because there is no 3’ end to which the newly synthesized DNA can attach. This non-replicated fragment results in gradual loss of the chromosomal DNA during each cell duplication. Additionally, it can induce a DNA damage response by enzymes that recognize single-stranded DNA.
Replication in Eukaryotes01:29

Replication in Eukaryotes

In eukaryotic cells, DNA replication is highly conserved and tightly regulated. Multiple linear chromosomes must be duplicated with high fidelity before cell division, so there are many proteins that fulfill specialized roles in the replication process. Replication occurs in three phases: initiation, elongation, and termination, and ends with two complete sets of chromosomes in the nucleus.
Many Proteins Orchestrate Replication at the Origin
Eukaryotic replication follows many of the same...
Replication in Eukaryotes02:31

Replication in Eukaryotes

Overview
Replicative Cell Senescence02:15

Replicative Cell Senescence

Replicative cell senescence is a property of cells that allows them to divide a finite number of times throughout the organism's lifespan while preventing excessive proliferation. Replicative senescence is associated with the gradual loss of the telomere — short, repetitive DNA sequences found at the end of the chromosomes. Telomeres are bound by a group of proteins to form a protective cap on the ends of chromosomes. Embryonic stem cells express telomerase — an enzyme that adds the telomeric...
Replicative Cell Senescence02:15

Replicative Cell Senescence

Replicative cell senescence is a property of cells that allows them to divide a finite number of times throughout the organism's lifespan while preventing excessive proliferation. Replicative senescence is associated with the gradual loss of the telomere — short, repetitive DNA sequences found at the end of the chromosomes. Telomeres are bound by a group of proteins to form a protective cap on the ends of chromosomes. Embryonic stem cells express telomerase — an enzyme that adds the telomeric...

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Existing severe osteoporotic vertebral fractures in elderly Chinese males were only weakly associated with higher further vertebral fracture risk at year-4 follow-up.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 30, 2026

Telomere Length and Telomerase Activity; A Yin and Yang of Cell Senescence
12:08

Telomere Length and Telomerase Activity; A Yin and Yang of Cell Senescence

Published on: May 22, 2013

Telomeres and frailty.

J Woo1, N L S Tang, E Suen

  • 1Department of Medicine & Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. jeanwoowong@cuhk.edu.hk

Mechanisms of Ageing and Development
|September 24, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Telomere shortening may not be the biological basis for frailty. This study found no correlation between telomere length and the frailty index in older adults, suggesting telomere length is not a direct biomarker for functional decline.

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Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Biomarkers of Aging
  • Cellular Senescence

Background:

  • Telomere length is associated with aging and chronic diseases, prompting its consideration as a biomarker of aging.
  • Frailty, a clinical measure of biological aging, is increasingly studied as an indicator of health status in older adults.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the hypothesis that telomere shortening underlies the biological basis of frailty.
  • To examine the relationship between telomere length, frailty index, and mortality in older adults.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from a health survey of 2000 community-dwelling men and women aged 65+.
  • Frailty was assessed using a frailty index (summation of physical, psychological, and functional deficits).
  • Telomere length was measured using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction in 976 men and 1030 women.

Main Results:

  • Women exhibited higher frailty but longer telomere length compared to men.
  • In men, telomere length negatively correlated with age, and frailty index positively correlated with mortality (age-adjusted).
  • No significant correlation was found between telomere length and the frailty index in either sex.

Conclusions:

  • Telomere length may serve as a biomarker for cellular senescence but does not appear to directly correlate with the functional decline represented by the frailty phenotype.
  • The study suggests that telomere length and frailty are distinct measures of aging, with no direct causal link established at the functional level.