Inside the nucleus of our cells, our genes are found on double-stranded DNA molecules called chromosomes. At the top and bottom of chromosomes are fragments of DNA called telomeres that defend our genes, give us the ability of our cells to divide, and hold secrets about how we age and how we get cancer. Telomeres are like the ends of shoelaces (because they prevent the ends of chromosomes from unraveling). But when a cell divides, the telomere becomes smaller and smaller. When they become too short, the cell can no longer divide. Telomeres then become “senescent” or inactive. This shortening is linked to aging, cancer and the risk of death. Telomeres should also be compared to a bomb detonator. Without telomeres, most of the chromosome would shrink as the cell divides. This can cause malfunction or cancer. An enzyme called telomerase adds bases to the ends of telomeres. In young cells, telomerase prevents telomeres from wearing out too much. But as cells divide repeatedly, there isn't enough telomerase, causing telomeres to shorten and cells to age. Telomerase remains active in sperm and eggs, which are passed from one generation to the next. If reproductive cells did not have telomerase to maintain the length of their telomeres, any organism with such cells would soon become extinct. Studies show that for the first time, changes in diet, exercise and stress management can lead to longer telomeres. Telomeres, as you may know, affect aging. The study was conducted by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco and the Preventative Medicine Research Institute, a nonprofit public research institute located in Sausalito, California. For five years, researchers followed 35 men with prostate cancer in its early stages to...... middle of article ...... the project is the discovery of new genes to high penetrance as well as new genes with low penetrance. genetic modifiers of the main genes of the human body. Works Cited “Are telomeres the key to aging and cancer? Learn.Genetics. February 11, 2014. University of Utah. http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/chromosomes/Telomeres/ “Lifestyle changes can lengthen telomeres, a measure of cellular aging. » UCSF. University of California, San Francisco. February 11, 2014. https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2013/09/108886/lifestyle-changes-may-lengthen-Telomeres-measure-cell-aging.Telomerase and Cancer. 2014. Oxford University Press. February 11, 2014. http://hmg.oxfordjournals.org/content/10/7/677.fullDivision of Cancer Epidemiology & Genetics 2014. National Cancer Institute. February 2014. http://dceg.cancer.gov/research/what-we-study/genes-host/dyskeratosis-congenita