Replication of Telomere Flashcards
What are the two problems of telomere replication?
1) Not enough template strand where primase can attach.
2) Last primase is removed
Why is having the primase removed a problem in telomere replication?
in order to change RNA to DNA, there must be another DNA strand in front of the RNA primer> DNA pol cannot build after removing RNA primer>ultimately that RNA is destroyed by enzymes that degrade RNA left on the DNA, section of the telomere subsequently lost w/ each replication cycle. Prokaryotic DNA is circular so no telomeres (or issue)
telomerase?
enzyme that attaches to the end of template strand and extends the template strand by adding short sequence of DNA over and over (not important code)
Why is the function of telomerase important?
It allows for the elongation of the lagging strand, at the end of elongation it still will not be enough for primase to attach but this won’t matter. Bc the added nucleotides are unimportant
telomere
a compound structure at the end of a chromosome