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

Armin Meiwes: the German cannibal

Armin Meiwes , better known as the Roteborg cannibal, was born in 1961.This name was acquired after killing, dismembering and eating a man he met through the Internet .A terrible story that was mentioned in all the media and from which we can find numerous documentaries .I become so shocking that even a movie was made (which you can find here, thanks to Amazon). Throughout history there have been several cases of cannibalism.From the so-called« the Brooklyn vampire », to extreme situations that do not allow Another option, the so-called survival cannibalism, and customs of some tribes. But in the case of Armin, How can anyone commit such tremendous atrocity? How do you could someone let you deceive through the internet? Next, we tell you... Armin Meiwes' personality Far from what we can think of, Armin Meiwes was a self-conscious person who turned away from the others.This worried most of their teachers.This anti-social tendency was the result, perhaps, of t...

The 3 keys to female orgasm, do you apply them?

Surrounded by a great aura of mystery, the female orgasm is sought after by all although it continues to be an enigma for many.However, a group of scientists managed to identify three keys that could increase the chances of woman to reach ecstasy in intimacy as a couple.Find out what are the steps you should follow. The 3 keys to female orgasm, do you apply them? A team of American researchers conducted a study in which they discovered a combination of three movements that could more effectively cause an orgasm in women during sexual intercourse. The lucky trio It consists of three elements: genital stimulation, deep kisses and oral sex. Scientists came to this conclusion after analyzing the data collected through a survey in line in which around 52 thousand people participated 18 and 65 years and who were in a relationship with a person. Thanks to their answers, very illuminating results were obtained.David Frederick, lead author of Chapman University research exp...

The Charles Darwin Work System | Less hours, more efficiency

Being as productive as possible is what most people crave, doing a good job in fewer hours. That is often not easy; Distractions, lack of organization etc.In the following Science Daily Online article we will talk about the work system of Charles Darwin and how he managed to be, surely, one of the most productive people we have talked about. The author of one of the most influential books, The origin of species , Darwin managed to reduce his workday to 15 hours a week, in clear advantage with the 45-47 hours a week that he did, and we do, all the others, but how did he do it? How did you get to be equally productive with less than half the hours? We're going to reveal the secrets of Darwin's work system to work smarter. Keys of the Charles Darwin work system If Darwin worked in any of the companies that exist today, surely his trial period would end on the first day of work.Unless, of course, his Boss had the same qualities as him and agreed to a 3-hour workda...

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...

What loud music can do to your relationships!

Are you one of those who enjoy music, no matter what genre? And besides, do you love listening to all lungs? Well, a study indicates some interesting things. What loud music can do to your relationships! An investigation sponsored by Apple Music and Sonos , christened "Music makes home", found 30,000 people and selected 30 families from around the world, as reported by Mashable.com. The study I provide each family with a Sonos sound system and a subscription to Apple Music, and I equip the houses with Apple iBeacons for data collection, in addition to giving them smart watches so that each one could measure their beats and their steps, and a Nest Web camera system in order to record their way of life with and without music in their homes. The first week should take place without listening to music, and as I normally saw vian the second week if you had to use the equipment and put the music at full volume, and the observed behavior was surprising. During the fi...

The Smilodon, the fantastic "saber teeth"

The Smilodon. Few prehistoric creatures are so beautiful and impressive at the same time, like this unique feline better known as "saber teeth".Experts say more than belonging to the family of big cats like the tiger or the lion, the Smilodon is more like a red lynx. It was simply beautiful, it lived along the American continent at the end of the Pliocene and became extinct 10,000 years ago.reason? Due to the climatic change of our planet.As the temperature rose, the large dams, the large animals that used to feed: mammoths, horses, prehistoric bison... The smallest animals ran too much and the Smilodon was not a good runner.In addition, he had to face predators more skilled than them, as was the case with the giant wolves.That is, the change of the derived ecosystems by general warming , I have just defeated these wonderful animals, which, without a doubt, we would have loved to know. The Smilodon (saber teeth), a fierce predator First we must clarify one aspec...

Will there be a Mega Tsunami in Hawaii?

The possibility of a mega tsunami in Hawaii does not seem to be pulled by the hair, if we consider that most of these catastrophes occur precisely in the Pacific Ocean, and that in the last 12 years we have had at least 3 big tsunamis : the one from Malaysia in 2004, the one from Chile in 2010 and the one from Japan in 2011. Will there be a Mega Tsunami in Hawaii? If you are a reader from Science Daily Online and you live in Hawaii do not panic, apparently the possibility that a mega tsunami hits the Hawaiian archipelago in the next 50 years is only 3%, and this information is derived from a study of 5 years by researchers at the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM), which began just shortly after the 9.0 earthquake that shook Japan in 2011, and was followed by an even more devastating tsunami. The Investi gators evaluated the behavior of the different plates and tectonic faults that cause earthquakes and tsunamis in the Pacific, as well as the behavior of some large tsunami...

Solar radiation: how does it affect you?

The sun is a source of health and beauty, but according to the frequency and duration of the exposure we make to solar radiation, the effects may be favorable or not so much.Remember that the effect of Sun is not immediate and can cause some problems that we will detail below. Red, reddish skin The skin redness after exposure to the sun , it can take up to 24 hours to appear, since that is the period of time that the blood vessels need to dilate and allow more blood to reach to the cells affected by the rays.Also, it is also what it takes for the skin to make the “ melanin ”, that is the pigment that darkens our skin. The radiations of the Sun and the ozone layer The radiations of the Sun that are received on the Earth's surface change as it passes through the Atmosphere.There are some radiations that are carriers of high energy content, such as gamma rays, UVC, UVB, etc.The effects of these radiations on humans depend on energy, that is, on the ability to pene...

The real reason why babies cry at night

All of us who have been parents know that the first months of the baby are usually the most intense and exhausting, among other things because the nights of continuous sleep are interrupted for a good time, at least until the baby gets used to sleeping run and in another room, as many pediatricians recommend.And also because you know that it is very stressful when babies cry at night. Here we talk about the reasons that usually explain this crying, along with a new and controversial hypothesis. The real reason why babies cry at night The traditional reasons used to explain why babies cry at night can be summed up in four causes: 1.Sleep dynamics In the first months, the baby goes from a two-phase sleep cycle (active sleep and quiet sleep), to the adult, five-phase ; this transition can generate alterations in the infant, and crying on waking. 2.Hambre Even feeding them well with breast or some replacement of breast milk, especially during the first months , it is likely ...

6 Things that only happen in North Korea

There are places in the world that seem surreal to us.One of them is North Korea, where things happen under the mandate of Kim Jong-un that seem to be taken out of a horror movie like the ones we tell you below. 28 haircuts In North Korea there are only 28 haircuts allowed, such is the dictator's control over such personal and unimportant aspects as this.Men have 14 haircuts and can have a maximum length of 4 centimeters.Single women should wear it short. Both the cultivation and consumption of marijuana is legal Curious, taking into account the strict and extensive list of restrictions imposed by the dictator in his country. Ultra-powerful leaders Citizens must believe, and if not more they pretend well, that the leaders have supernatural powers. Since childhood they are told all kinds of stories, away from the re alidad, with the aim of making them submissive and fully controllable by the system. One of the examples is that of the father of the current ruler ...

Science Daily Online

Search This Blog