Question

Select all of the following that are true about telomeres in normal cells.

A. condensed regions of chromatin that assist in the compaction of DNA
B. act as binding sites for transcription factors
C. are so short after 50 cell divisions that the cell stops dividing
D. gradually get shorter with each round of cell division
E. contain exons that encode proteins repeats of a specific DNA sequence

Answer 1

In normal cells, telomeres get progressively shorter after each cell division and eventually can become so short that the cell stops dividing; however, they do not encode proteins or act as binding sites for transcription factors.

Step-by-step explanation:

True Statements about Telomeres

Telomeres are essential structures at the ends of linear chromosomes, playing a key role in cellular replication. Among the statements about telomeres in normal cells:

C. are so short after 50 cell divisions that the cell stops dividing - While the exact number of cell divisions may vary, telomeres do get critically short after multiple cell divisions, which can trigger cell senescence or death.

D. gradually get shorter with each round of cell division - Telomeres do indeed get shorter each time a cell divides, due to the end-replication problem in DNA synthesis.

A and B are more associated with the general structure and function of chromatin and transcription, and not specific to telomeres. E is incorrect because telomeres do not contain exons that encode proteins; they are composed of noncoding repeating DNA sequences.