I am working on my research term paper for biology. My topic is on telomeres and telomerase. I understand that telomeres are long strings of repetitive nucleotide at the ends of the 3' side of chromosomes. However, I want to make sure I understand this right. During cell division the cell cannot replicate the chromosome all the way to the end. So by having telomeres the cell is able to only does not replicate the unneeded repetitive nucleotides that make up the telomeres. Is this understanding correct?

Could you rephrase this sentence a bit?

 

So by having telomeres the cell is able to only does not replicate the unneeded repetitive nucleotides that make up the telomeres.

Could you rephrase this sentence a bit?

 

Wow, I really should proof my posts a little better. That sentence is complete gibberish.

 

What I meant to say is that when a cell with telemeres divides the only nucleotides that are lost are the unnecessary repetitive ones that make up the telomeres.

It should be alright for the somatic ones, and telomerase works on germ line and special lineages (those rapidly divide) to replenish the telomere.