Final answer:
The ends of linear chromosomes are maintained by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase, which adds nucleotides to elongate the lagging strand and prevent gene deletion during cell division.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ends of the linear chromosomes are maintained by telomeres. Telomeres contain repetitive sequences that do not code for a particular gene, protecting the genes from being deleted as cells divide. The enzyme telomerase plays a crucial role in maintaining these chromosomal ends. It adds complementary bases to the RNA template on the 3' end of the DNA strand, thereby elongating the lagging strand template so that DNA polymerase can add nucleotides complementary to the telomeres, ensuring the ends of the chromosomes are replicated properly. This process is vital for chromosome stability and cellular longevity.
Contrary to telomeres, Okazaki fragments are short stretches of DNA on the lagging strand, synthesized in the direction away from the replication fork during DNA replication. They are not involved in maintaining the ends of linear chromosomes.