Telomeros: The clocks of life

The human species has been able to increase its life expectancy year after year, however our biology places a limit on us.And the cumulus of damage in cells product of aging prevents our body from existing indefinitely, our life time is controlled by a kind of hourglasses...How long does we have left to live ? Can we be able to cheat the clock ? Come and discover more about telomeros.

What are telomeros?

All human beings have 46 chromosomes which are arranged in 23 pairs ; In general, it can be said that the shape of the chromosomes is similar to the letter "X", the chromosome is composed of long and short arms, other important parts are the centromere (central part that joins the arms) and the telomero (extreme part of the arms).

These telomeres are sequences of repeated DNA that are located at the ends of the chromosomes as " Capuchon ”, preventing them from deteriorating or merging with other chromosomes, which would cause serious genetic problems .Telomeres play a fundamental role during the cell division , the Shortening of telomeres during this process is inevitable and limits the number of times a normal cell can replicate , approximately 50 throughout life.The minimum size that a functional telomere can have is known as the limit of Hayflick and indicates that when the cell reaches smaller sizes it will begin its death process .Also being the telomere of chromosome 3 the shortest of the whole game, it is thought that it could be the trigger of cell death.

In other words we could say that very short telomeres allow a smaller amount of divisions causing a reduced longevity and on the contrary longer telomeres involve greater longevity .When we are born there are no significant differences between the length of the telomeres of men and women, however, as aging occurs, the telomeres of women end up being longer than in men, this phenomenon is still unexplained but could be the reason why Women tend to live longer years than men.

How to repair telomeres?

The secret to a longer life lies in the length of the telomeres, then being able to control the size of the telomeres and keep them in a good size could give us more years of life, since it turns out that we are not so far from controlling the telomeres thanks to the discovery of the enzyme 'telomerase' whose function is to lengthen and maintain telomeric regions.

Telomeros: The clocks of life

Experiments in mice have demonstrated the ability to increase the life of these animals even in a 24% after a treatment in which the production of the enzyme telomerase was induced.However, the danger is latent since if the telomerase concentrations are very high, it could ac tivar the tumor cells and cause cancer since they favor the immortality of malignant cells.Then the success of this therapy focuses on being able to extend life by maintaining the telomeres without producing cancer.

Likewise, Telomerase is normally active in fetal cells and after birth it is gradually deactivated in all cells except in normal stem cells and in some cells of the immune system.On the other hand, sperm and ovules already they have long telomeres and do not have telomerase activity.

Future applications

The immediate application is to test the effectiveness of drugs telomerase inhibitors as a possible antitumor therapy, alleviate the diseases associated with aging by re-introducing telomerase into cells with short telomeres, tissue production and differentiation in vitro from adult stem cells, which also need telomerase to divide indefinitely.

Telomeros: The clocks of life

The most promising application focuses on delaying aging, a common cause that triggers the appearance of diseases as the resistance to insulin or cardiovascular diseases, the incidence of which increases with age.Then, if we treated the aging of the cells, we could prevent the appearance of these diseases .that the study of the telomere and its telomerase will bring us many surprises in the not too distant future.

If you have been interested in this article, you may want to know more about why we need DNA from a man and a woman.

Comments

The rare condition of elephantiasis

If I tell you that there is a disease called elephantiasis surely you will end up thinking that, by name, something will have to do with elephants.Well, no, we will not talk about people with a tube in the nose or ears, but it's just as curious, maybe even more. Lymphatic filariasis, a rare disease Elephantiasis is also called lymphatic filariasis and is a disease that especially affects the genitals and lower extremities.More specifically it is an inflammatory process caused by parasites or bacteria such as spirochetes or treponemas and that is transmitted through mosquito bites. And what causes this sting? For the size of the genitals to grow in such a way that the affected people cannot even walk.Incredible! Bacteria very common in tropical countries Generally, the bacteria that cause elephantiasis are common in tropical countries and people suffering from this disease usually end up with serious bone malformations due to inflammation that occurs in the body. ...

Verbal abuse: do you know how to detect it? Meet some classes!

Abuse is not simply physical, it can mistreat and degrade a person even without touching it. Have you ever thought that words can hurt more than a blow? Surely you have experienced it in some way. Verbal abuse is even more common than physical abuse and can be much more serious. Learn more about it and prevent it from happening to you. Abuse verbal: do you know how to detect it? Get to know some classes! Words hurt, there is no doubt about that , they can break us into a thousand pieces as soon as they are pronounced, not much more is needed. Words can lift or sink a person more than you think because they are powerful, and that's why you have to recognize their power and learn to recognize when they hurt us. Verbal abuse Sometimes it goes unnoticed , and it can happen in the family, with friends, at work or in a relationship.For no reason should it be ignored, as it is a clear sign that things can get worse and health Mental and physical victim can be compromised....

And you, also "procrastins"?

And you? Procrastines too? If you don't, we are sure that you know someone who does it continuously and that, surely, makes you despair.But what does this disturbing word really mean? Let's give an example: you have been dating a person for a long time, you make plans for the future, you have many illusions and projects, however, your partner never seems to decide.He is unable to formalize your relationship because something like that, not only overwhelms him, but even He is lazy. "Are we not well like that?" I often reproach you. Let's give another example: you may have the classic friend who never seems to finish his studies.It is easy to be an "eternal" university student who faces the responsibilities and anxieties of the working world. And what about people who spend all their time in front of a computer screen letting out "real life" ? Sometimes, it is much easier to let ourselves go, evading responsibilities, than to put means t...

Why do I see stars when I sneeze loudly?

Before moving on to the article we would like to remind you that we have launched a YouTube channel and that we would be very happy if you subscribed to watch our videos, you can click here–> Science Daily Online YouTube It can be annoying to watch things that aren't there, whether it's pink lights, shadows or elephants, but when people close their eyes, if they have a migraine or even sneeze, they can see a variety of ghostly lights and sparkles . What is happening? All these luminous visions are caused by the stimulation of the back of the eye, or the optic nerve, which transmits the experience of light to the brain . Inside our eyes is a thick gel, which keeps the eye in good condition.This gel can brush the retina, the part of the eye that creates image it is in our brain .When the brain receives a message from the retina, it interprets it as light.So if there is light or not entering the eye, any retinal stimulation will be interpreted as a spectacle of ...

What's under your nails ...

If you are one of those who pay attention to details, you may have noticed that those who are going to participate in a surgical intervention, after thoroughly washing their hands, still put on gloves.Why? Because there is a point in our hands, or rather, ten points, in which microbes and bacteria can protect themselves from the attack of the fiercest and most effective antiseptics: under your ones. What is under your some... A great revolution in health, not only at the hospital level but also in everyday life, was the discovery that keep your hands clean , wash them before eating, handling food, children or sick people, after going to the bathroom or doing field work, or before treating an injury or injury, could make a big difference between staying healthy or getting sick . Washing your hands with plenty of water and soap eliminates most of the bacteria and microorganisms that can harm us, but this disinfection work almost never achieves its purpose under your nails. I...

Dysthymia or depression, would you know how to differentiate them? Keys to do it

Dysthymia or depression.Some time ago we wrote an article about dysthymia, and we explained to you what this disorder consists of.We have also written about depression, how to recognize it and how to treat it. This time we want Emphasize their differences, as many times the symptoms of both disorders can be confused and prevent proper treatment.Of course, the diagnoses must be made by specialists , you must be very clear about that. Dysthymia or depression, would you know how to differentiate them? Keys to do it It is important to know if you suffer from dysthymia or depression, because although there are symptoms in common, the treatment for each disease is different.There is a diagnostic tool that, although not perfect, if helps to reveal doubts; This is the DSM-IV-TR (for its acronym in English: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fourth Edition, Text Revised ), which supports the specialist in the distinction of both conditions. First, dysthymia is a feeling of chronic ...

Heal without scars, scientists know how to get it!

Is it possible to heal without scars, and for our skin to look the same in its entirety, even if we have suffered wounds or burns? A group of scientists are working on it, we explain it to you. Heal without scars, scientists know how to get it! Scars are part of our life: everyone, in some moment, we have fallen and broken our skin, and some more than others, we have formed those marks that indicate that the skin has been reborn where it was damaged.We explain in a previous post all about the scars, and we talked about complex and natural process that the skin puts into operation every time it is injured. This scar healing without scarring, skill that humans-and mammals in general- we don't have and rather it characterizes amphibians and fish, it is becoming a real possibility thanks to a group of scientists from the University of Pennsylvania, which in turn have been based ado in a study of several years of the Laboratory for Development and Regenerative Biology, of the...

Are you afraid of love?

In Science Daily Online we talk to you once about the red thread of destiny that determines the romantic future according to the Japanese.On this occasion we want to continue focusing our attention on love, but not from a more cheerful perspective, but from those of those who fear , who suffer filophobia . Are you afraid of love? Phylophobia It consists of the fear of love that a person can feel once starts falling in love with someone. How does it manifest itself? The philosopher usually begins to relate with a person who is interested in a normal way l, having current appointments and demonstrating that he is attracted to her, but suddenly , the mere fact of contacting with that pe rsona becomes a authentic challenge .Nerves take hold of him, he feels anxiety and finally fear.The same terror as when he is in a situation of real danger .Stress takes over both physically and emotionally. Phylophobia can manifest itself with vomits , nausea, panic att...

Do they tell you your type of wine based on your DNA?

With the passing of time, companies are increasingly concerned with creating experiences as personalized as possible to help meet the needs and tastes of their public.Just this has made an American startup, called Vinome, which promises to offer "the best personalized experience" when selecting your type of wine based on your DNA. This company tells you your type of wine based on your DNA Vinome is a wine delivery service located in California that aims to put an end to the fateful choice of wine bottles, by creating a personalized flavor profile based on the buyer's DNA. How do they do it? It turns out that they offer a wine suitable for your senses based on the genes (which they obtain and analyze from a saliva sample) and a food survey You like them and you don't like them.After having these two elements, they use their algorithm to find wines from their wineries that you could enjoy. According to Vinome: «There are more than 400 genes that encode ce...

How to be nice to other people according to science. DNA thing

You have not wondered how some people do to please everyone. How to be nice and like it is an “art” that not everyone dominates, which facilitates and improves the social relations of any group, regardless of their species or race.But is it a quality or a capacity? In other words, is it something that depends on education and therefore is learned or instead is something innate with what we are born therefore depends on the genetic heritage of each one? This is what some scientists intend to find out. How to be nice to other people according to science DNA thing To answer this intriguing question, ask a group of scientists from University of Exeter, in the United Kingdom, used a colony of microbes in which they created a model of social evolution from which they could understand to what extent genetics can prevail about environmental conditions or the environment.The results, surprisingly, were that the behavior of individuals depends largely on a series of genetic facto...

Science Daily Online

Search This Blog