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What is the structure of a telomere?

-A long series of tandemly repeated CA/GT sequences organized into 100-1000 repeats
-Alternating H3 octamer and CenH3 tetramer nucleosomes condensed into 30 nm fibers
-A pattern of CpG island methylation in DNA indicating that this is a telomere
-Two clusters of microtubules linked together by other proteins and located at the cell poles

1 Answer

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Final answer:

Telomeres are the ends of linear chromosomes consisting of noncoding repetitive sequences. They protect coding sequences from being lost as cells divide. Telomerase is the enzyme responsible for adding telomeres to the ends of chromosomes.

Step-by-step explanation:

Telomeres are the ends of linear chromosomes and consist of noncoding repetitive sequences. In humans, telomeres are made up of a six base-pair sequence, TTAGGG, that is repeated 100 to 1000 times. These repetitive sequences protect the coding sequences from being lost as cells divide. Telomeres are added to the ends of chromosomes by an enzyme called telomerase, which helps maintain the chromosome ends.

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