telomerase
telomerase
Noun
pl: telomerases
This term is used exclusively within biological and medical contexts, specifically in genetics and oncology. It describes a specialized ribonucleoprotein that maintains chromosomal stability, making it a primary target for cancer research due to its role in cellular immortality.
In scientific literature, the word is treated as a mass noun when referring to the enzyme's general activity or presence, though it can be used as a countable noun when discussing specific types or variants of the enzyme.
Meanings
Nountelomerase
An enzyme that adds repetitive nucleotide sequences to the ends of chromosomes to prevent them from shortening during cell division.
The activity of telomerase is often upregulated in cancer cells to allow for unlimited proliferation.
Related Words
enzymetelomerechromosomeDNARNApolymerasenucleotidereplicationsenescenceagingimmortalitycanceroncogenetumorcarcinogencellnucleusgenomegeneticsproteincatalysttemplateextensionelongationshorteningattritionmitosismeiosisapoptosisstem cellgerm cellsomatic cellguaninecytosineadeninethymineuracilbase pairhelixchromatinhistonecentromerebiological clockproliferationregenerationlongevitybiochemistrymolecular biologygenomicsproteomicsphosphorylationactivationinhibitionsubstratecofactorcatalysissynthesisdegradationstabilitymutation