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alchymista:

The Body’s Countdown to Death or Cancer

Described by some as a “doomsday clock”, every cell within the human body has a limit to the number of times it is able to safely divide, due to the telomeres on the ends of each chromosome. These telomeres act as caps on the tops of the chromosomes to protect the precious genetic material from fraying, but with every cell division these telomeres are shortened. 

Upon shrinking to a certain point, the telomere’s function is critically impaired. Technically, at this point the cell is supposed to die; however, when it continues to live, it proceeds as a cancerous cell. Now, based on recent research, scientists are hypothesizing that a drug could be developed to control the telomeres, effectively treating both cancer and aging diseases.

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(via scinerds)