Question

Without telomere "caps" at the end of the chromosomes (select all that apply):

a) The chromosome could degrade
b) The chromosome may fuse with other broken chromosomes
c) The chromosome may become involved in other recombination events

Answer 1

Without telomere caps, chromosomes could degrade, fuse with other chromosomes or engage in unwanted recombination events. Telomeres prevent these issues by preserving chromosome integrity, with telomerase playing a key role in maintaining these protective structures.

Step-by-step explanation:

Without telomere "caps" at the end of the chromosomes, several issues can arise:

• The chromosome could degrade: Without telomeres, the ends of chromosomes would become unstable and could degrade over time as cells divide.
• The chromosome may fuse with other broken chromosomes: Telomeres help prevent chromosomes from inappropriately attaching to each other, so without them, fusions can occur, leading to genomic instability.
• The chromosome may become involved in other recombination events: Telomeres also help prevent chromosome ends from being mistaken as broken DNA and reduce the likelihood of engaging in unwanted recombination events.

Telomeres consist of repetitive sequences that do not encode genes but play a crucial role in chromosome protection and replication. The enzyme telomerase helps maintain these structures by adding nucleotide sequences to the ends of the chromosomes, ensuring their integrity is preserved during cell division.