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Telomere Shortening

Meaning

The progressive reduction in the length of telomeres, the protective, repetitive DNA sequences found at the ends of linear chromosomes. This biological process occurs naturally with each cell division due to the “end-replication problem” and is considered a primary hallmark of cellular aging and replicative senescence. The degree of telomere shortening serves as a quantifiable biomarker of an individual’s biological age and cumulative cellular stress.