Telomerase Function

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Will chromosomes remain stable of over very long periods of time? Each round of genetic replication followed by mitosis or meiosis requires the replication of a complete version of each chromosome. Any accidental changes in chromosome structure will be permanent. These changes will be passed on through future rounds of DNA replication. Therefore any loss of DNA is a serious problem. If the end of a DNA strand is not copied each time the DNA is replicated then the chromosome will shrink continuously as the cell cycle continues. Because errors persist and accumulate over time it is very important to prevent the accumulation of DNA damage and loss.