The threshold between naturally aging and developing malignant cancer tumors is very slim. One factor that predicts which side a person may fall is the enzyme telomerase.
Telomerase replenishes the telomeres on the ends of our linear chromosomes.
Through maintaining telomere length, our cells will continue to function properly and will not enter senescence. However, if the enzyme telomerase maintains our telomere s length for an extended period, then our cells will not be able to stop dividing and may cause cancer. Perhaps, a substance or a timing mechanism exists that regulates and controls telomerase production and its activation period. The use of research resorces will aid this secondary research investigation in the following order 1. Online catalog of the University of Louisville.