BioLit 160 – Homework 2 (5 points) Name: Braxton Cole Burchfield

Fall 2018

Read the Gutman et al article “Possible mechanisms for telomere length maintenance in
extremely old people” on Canvas.

1. What are telomeres and how do they relate to cell aging (0.5pts)?
Telomeres are TTAGGG base structure on the end of chromosomes. They relate to cell aging in that age
affects Telomere length in white blood cells.

2. What is senescence (0.5pt)?

Senescence is the deterioration and aging of cells.

3. What would you propose the research question is for this article (1pt)?
The research question is: What are the trends in telomere length associated with age ?

4. Is the claim “People starting with shorter telomeres will always die faster than people
starting with longer telomeres.” supported by figure 1? Why or why not (2pts)?
No, it is not supported by the figure. In figure 1, lines b and c started at very different initial
length while ending at the same age.

5. What kind of factors do you think hurt/help maintain telomere length (1pt)?
I believe staying active by working out along with a healthy diet can help maintain telomere
length.