Suppose you take a cell from an adult cow and attempt to use it to produce a clone of that cow. If telomerase is not functioning in that cell or in any of the cell's progeny, what would you expect to happen to your clone?
A) The clone will be unable to grow.
B) When the clone matures, it will most likely have cancer.
C) The clone's cells may divide, but after a certain number of generations, cell division will stop.
D) The lack of telomerase should have no effect on the clone.
E) When the clone matures, it will most likely be sterile.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Telomerase is responsible for maintaining the length of telomeres, which are the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes. Without telomerase, telomeres shorten with each cell division, eventually leading to a point where cells can no longer divide, known as replicative senescence. This would limit the number of times the clone's cells could divide, but would not immediately prevent growth, cause cancer, have no effect, or result in sterility.

Suppose You Take a Cell from an Adult Cow and Attempt