[Campbell Biology P.378] The text posits that 'Normal shortening of telomeres may protect or... | Practice Question

The text posits that 'Normal shortening of telomeres may protect organisms from cancer by limiting the number of divisions that somatic cells can undergo.' Considering this, and the broader discussion on telomeres and telomerase, which of the following statements represents the most accurate synthesis of the information?

  • A: Telomere shortening serves as a tumor suppressor mechanism in most somatic cells, while telomerase activity in germ cells ensures genomic stability for inheritance.
  • B: High telomerase activity is always beneficial, promoting cellular longevity and preventing all forms of disease, including cancer.
  • C: The primary role of telomeres is to protect the ends of chromosomes from fusion and degradation, independent of cell division.
  • D: The shortening of telomeres is directly responsible for all age-related diseases and cannot be counteracted by any known biological mechanism.

Explanation

The text highlights two critical aspects: 1 'Normal shortening of telomeres may protect organisms from cancer by limiting the number of divisions that somatic cells can undergo.' This establishes telomere shortening as a natural tumor suppression mechanism. 2 'An enzyme called telomerase catalyzes the lengthening of telomeres in eukaryotic germ cells, thus restoring their original length and compensating for the shortening that occurs during DNA replication.' This explains how germ cells maintain genomic integrity across generations. Option A accurately combines these two key takeaways.