Question

Telomerase Indicate whether each of the following statements about telomerase is true or false. 1. With each cell division, chromosomes gradually shorten in the absence of telomerase activity. TrueFalse 2. During embryonic and childhood development in humans, telomerase activity is relatively low compared to the level of activity in most somatic cells of an adult. TrueFalse 3. Cells that divide frequently tend to have relatively low levels of telomerase. TrueFalse 4. The activity of telomerase in most mature somatic cells is kept high by increasing the expression of the gene encoding this enzyme. TrueFalse 5. Mice with low telomerase activity appear to be normal for up to six generations, but they show steadily decreasing telomere length that eventually leads to nonviable offspring. TrueFalse 6. When telomerase is added to cells grown in culture, their lifespan decreases relative to controls that have no telomerase added. TrueFalse 7. Cancer cells generally have high levels of telomerase activity, which allows them to divide indefinitely without the chromosomes getting shorter and shorter. TrueFalse

Answer 1

Here are the answer for each item.
1. With each cell division, chromosomes gradually shorten in the absence of telomerase activity (FALSE)2. During embryonic and childhood development in humans, telomerase activity is relatively low compared to the level of activity in most somatic cells of an adult. (FALSE)
3. Cells that divide frequently tend to have relatively low levels of telomerase.(FALSE).
4. The activity of telomerase in most mature somatic cells is kept high by increasing the expression of the gene encoding this enzyme. (FALSE)
5. Mice with low telomerase activity appear to be normal for up to six generations, but they show steadily decreasing telomere length that eventually leads to nonviable offspring. (FALSE)
6. When telomerase is added to cells grown in culture, their lifespan decreases relative to controls that have no telomerase added. (FALSE)
7. Cancer cells generally have high levels of telomerase activity, which allows them to divide indefinitely without the chromosomes getting shorter and shorter. (TRUE).