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Telomeres Deep Dive
The shoelace caps of your DNA
Telomeres are protective caps on your chromosomes. Every time a cell divides, they get slightly shorter — like a biological countdown timer.
Fact
Telomerase: The repair enzyme
Telomerase is an enzyme that can rebuild telomeres. It's highly active in stem cells and cancer cells, but mostly dormant in regular adult cells.
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True or False
Telomeres get longer each time a cell divides.
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What shortens telomeres?
Match each factor to its effect on telomeres.
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Insight
Stress literally ages your DNA
Nobel Prize winner Elizabeth Blackburn found that caregivers under chronic stress had telomeres equivalent to being 10 years older biologically.
Takeaway
Key Takeaway
Exercise, sleep, and low stress all slow telomere shortening. Some interventions can even lengthen them.