Question

In cancer cells, telomerase is often turned on again. How does this contribute to cell immortalization (the ability to grow and divide forever)?

Answer 1

The answer given is Telomere lengths would be stabilized

dont understand at all ..summoning blues ha

Answer 2

this isn't a site to get homework answers from remember :)

Answer 3

As I am sure you are aware but I mention because it prefaces the answer well, each time a cell divides it replicates its DNA. Each time it does this, DNA Pol and the rest of the DNA replication complex transcribes one strand in one direction, but transcribes the other strand in the other direction - that is, it starts further out and works back toward the replication fork, then the fragments are bonded together.

When it reaches the end of a chromosome, the strand being transcribed in one piece is fine - but the other strand being transcribed in segments isn't. There is no segment out there for DNA Pol to start on. The result is that each new strand is a little shorter than the one it was replicated from.

When the strands get short enough (i.e., go through enough rounds of DNA replication and cell division), it starts impeding on the coding regions of the chromosome and that DNA is lost. This essentially places a limit on the number of times a cell line can go through division. In some part, it is why organisms age.

Telomerase fixes this by extending strands once replication has been completed. If cancer cells lacked telomerase activity, they would have this limit on the number of possible cell divisions. They don't. That is what is meant by 'immortal.'

Sorry for writing an essay. :D

Answer 4

@mmoul18, Yeouch. From someone who posted how many fill in the blank problems without waiting for them to be answered or waiting for help and then was rather rude to another user when that was explained - rather funny.

Answer 5

http://openstudy.com/study#/updates/4f920cd2e4b000310fafc156

Answer 6

@mmoul I never need any homework help from this site. This is not in my school curriculum , but just to learn more from blues :)
We will sure help you if you really want to learn, but us giving you the answer will not benefit your learning

Answer 7

sorry blues i wasn't talking to you. cmkc109 was saying this wasn't a site to get answers from and then doing the same thing? Sorry if I offended you blues :)

Answer 8

@mmoul18, This doesn't have the look or feel of a homework question. I think CmcK is asking out of simple extracurricular curiosity and I am quite happy to indulge. No hard feelings. :D

Answer 9

ok then :)

Answer 10

The question read to me as a this is what it states is the right answer, but can someone explain to me or help me understand how that is. That's not getting an answer, this person has the answer, they want to understand it.

Meanwhile, big words I think I should know but can't remember.
Telom-whatever, what's that again? It's been like 5 years since my last college bio class.

Answer 11

@blues so if cancer cells keep dividing..does it mean telomeres will take over the dna strand?

Answer 12

@PsychoTink thanks :) bases that are on the end of the chromosome to prevent it from getting damage
I like how my teacher explains it as having a binder to protect the photo copy from being damaged

Answer 13

oh yea @blues , my teacher also like to use analogies
and it is pretty funny when she explains the evolution concept too

Answer 14

@PsychoTink, telomeres are the regions of non-coding DNA at the end of chromosomes. Telomerase is an enzyme which adds nucleotides to shortening strands.

The problem with DNA rep is that through successive rounds of cell division, those telomeres get shorter and shorter. The non-coding regions at the ends erode. Telomerase replaces the lost non-coding DNA with more non-coding DNA - so no, the non-coding region never expands into the coding regions.

Answer 15

Okay, I understand what teloma-whatever is. I'm good. Thanks :)
(Side note, mmoul, by telling you this site is not a place to just get answers cmkc was actually following the code of conduct we all agreed to by being here. Take a look at it some time. "Give Help, Not Answers: I will encourage and guide those needing help, and not just give them an answer"