McClintock also saw that telomeres prevent these kinds of fusion events from occurring. Despite the magnitude of these discoveries, 40 years would elapse between McClintock's original observations ...

Telomerase is an enzyme that can compensate for this shortening by maintaining telomeres at a stable length, helping to protect chromosomes against degradation and fusion. Mutations that ...

They found that telomeres in Scott’s white blood cells ... These include a gradual loss of muscle and bone, space sickness, lower blood pressure, and changes related to the heart and lungs.