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Why does the presence of telomeres protect the ends of linear chromosomes?

User CherryQu
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To prevent the loss of genes as chromosome ends wear down, the tips of eukaryotic chromosomes have specialized DNA “caps” called telomeres. Telomeres need to be protected from a cell's DNA repair systems because they have single-stranded overhangs, which "look like" damaged DNA. ...

User Taukheer
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