This article talks about telomeres and what they say about you. For example, smokers and couch potatoes are common offenders of damaging their chromosomes. Two groups of well known researchers have started companies solely to come up with a test that can measure the length of someone's telomeres. Telomeres are caps on the ends of chromosomes meant to protect. A good analogy is to think of them as plastic tips on the ends of shoelaces that keep the laces from fraying.
Whenever chromosomes—the storehouses of our genes—are replicated for cell division, their telomeres shorten. Many scientists have been led to believe that this shortening has led to view telomere length as a marker of biological aging. Similar to a “molecular” clock telling the cell’s life span, as well as an indicator of overall health. Studies have compared telomere length of white blood cells among groups of volunteers; they have found that there were many distinct correlations between telomere length and lifestyle. Those who were exercising regularly had longer telomeres than those who did not. Folks who perceived themselves as the most stressed had shorter telomeres than those who saw themselves as the least. Certain diseases also seemed to correlate with shorter telomeres, including cardiovascular, obesity and Alzheimer’s.
In the future, telomere research can tell us more about our health. Knowing whether our telomeres are of normal length or not for a given chronological age will tell us about the status of our health status and our physiological "age". Telomere length is probably the best single measure of our integrated genetics, previous lifestyle and environmental exposures.
Although research has gotten very far, telomere experts still haven’t defined what they consider to be a norm and what they consider to be abnormal, either long or short. Regardless, the data, would be sufficient to help people make personal lifestyle decisions regarding diet, exercise, and stress.
These are chromosomes capped with telomeres.
The telomeres appear bright, on the ends.
Whenever chromosomes—the storehouses of our genes—are replicated for cell division, their telomeres shorten. Many scientists have been led to believe that this shortening has led to view telomere length as a marker of biological aging. Similar to a “molecular” clock telling the cell’s life span, as well as an indicator of overall health. Studies have compared telomere length of white blood cells among groups of volunteers; they have found that there were many distinct correlations between telomere length and lifestyle. Those who were exercising regularly had longer telomeres than those who did not. Folks who perceived themselves as the most stressed had shorter telomeres than those who saw themselves as the least. Certain diseases also seemed to correlate with shorter telomeres, including cardiovascular, obesity and Alzheimer’s.
In the future, telomere research can tell us more about our health. Knowing whether our telomeres are of normal length or not for a given chronological age will tell us about the status of our health status and our physiological "age". Telomere length is probably the best single measure of our integrated genetics, previous lifestyle and environmental exposures.
Although research has gotten very far, telomere experts still haven’t defined what they consider to be a norm and what they consider to be abnormal, either long or short. Regardless, the data, would be sufficient to help people make personal lifestyle decisions regarding diet, exercise, and stress.
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