Final answer:
The inability to replicate the ends of linear chromosomes is due to the structure and function of telomeres, which are maintained with the help of the telomerase enzyme.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phenomenon that refers to the inability to replicate the ends of linear chromosomes is related to the structure known as telomeres. These are the noncoding repetitive sequences found at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes that protect coding sequences during cell division. Over time, as cells divide, telomeres get progressively shorter due to the limitations of the DNA replication process. This is because the enzyme DNA polymerase can only add nucleotides in one direction, and in the case of the lagging strand, there is no place to anchor a primer at the very end of the chromosome. However, an enzyme called telomerase helps to maintain chromosome ends by adding nucleotide sequences to the telomeres, thus ensuring that the entire chromosome is replicated without losing vital genetic information.