Ricki Lewis | Feb 18, 1996 | 7 min read
Geriatric Disorders Author: Ricki Lewis SIDEBAR : TELOMERE BIOLOGY RESOURCES Chromosome tips, called telomeres, have long fascinated geneticists because they protect chromosomes from degradation. And recent research has revealed another vital role for telomeres: As they shrink with each cell division, they keep a biochemical tally of the number of divisions remaining in a cell's lifetime. If this precise control goes awry, the biochemical consequences could be dire, such as uncontrolled growt