"How chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase" - Taking care of lose ends is important for life

**Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine 2009**

 The thread-like DNA strands (chromosomes) that contain our genes are linear molecules that are protected by Telomeres. Telomeres are specialized functional complexes that protect the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes. The presence of this special structure protects the chromosomes from degradation, end-to-end fusions and ensures that the ends of the DNA strands are replicated. The Nobel prize for the year 2009 has been awarded to Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn, Dr. Carol Greider and Dr. Jack Szostak for identifying the DNA sequence and enzymatic machinery involved in the maintenance of this cap structure, telomere. The presence of these mechanisms is crucial for the survival of a cell as critically short telomeres trigger replicative senescence or apoptosis. Failure to protect the ends of chromosomes has therefore been implicated in several diseases and is a crucial component of aging in eukaryotes.