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Related Concept Videos

Longitudinal Research02:20

Longitudinal Research

Sometimes we want to see how people change over time, as in studies of human development and lifespan. When we test the same group of individuals repeatedly over an extended period of time, we are conducting longitudinal research. Longitudinal research is a research design in which data-gathering is administered repeatedly over an extended period of time. For example, we may survey a group of individuals about their dietary habits at age 20, retest them a decade later at age 30, and then again...
Longitudinal Studies01:26

Longitudinal Studies

Longitudinal studies are also widely used in other medical and social science fields. For instance, in cardiovascular research, they can monitor patients' health over decades to identify risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol or smoking, and evaluate the long-term effectiveness of preventive measures. Similarly, in mental health studies, researchers might follow individuals from adolescence into adulthood to understand the development and progression of conditions like...
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...
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
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.

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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

Telomere length and dynamics predict mortality in a wild longitudinal study.

Emma L B Barrett1, Terry A Burke, Martijn Hammers

  • 1School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7TJ, UK.

Molecular Ecology
|November 22, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Shorter telomeres and faster telomere shortening predict mortality in Seychelles warblers. This study provides the first clear evidence linking telomere dynamics to lifespan in wild populations, supporting telomeres as biological age indicators.

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Gerontology

Background:

  • Understanding variation in life expectancy is key to population ecology and life history evolution.
  • Telomere length and dynamics are linked to cellular lifespan, but their predictive power for organismal lifespan in nature remains debated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate lifelong adult telomere dynamics in a wild bird population.
  • To determine the relationship between telomere length, telomere shortening rate, and mortality under natural conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal sampling of Seychelles warblers (Acrocephalus sechellensis) over 20 years (n=204).
  • Analysis of telomere length and rate of loss in relation to age and body mass.
  • Correlation of telomere dynamics with subsequent mortality risk.

Main Results:

  • Telomeres shorten with increasing age and body mass.
  • Shorter telomere length and higher rates of telomere shortening significantly predicted future mortality.
  • First unambiguous evidence of telomere length-mortality relationship in a wild population.

Conclusions:

  • Telomere length and shortening rate serve as reliable indicators of biological age beyond chronological age.
  • Findings support the use of telomere dynamics in life history studies of wild populations.
  • Establishes a clear link between telomere dynamics and mortality in natural settings.