Which of the following characteristics would you expect of a eukaryotic organism that lacks the enzyme telomerase?
A) A high probability of somatic cells becoming cancerous.
B) An inability to produce Okazaki fragments.
C) An inability to repair thymine dimers.
D) A reduction in chromosome length in gametes.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Telomerase is responsible for adding telomeric repeats to the ends of chromosomes, which helps to prevent chromosome shortening during replication. If an organism lacks telomerase, then its chromosomes will gradually shorten with each round of replication. This is particularly problematic in gametes, where a reduction in chromosome length could lead to developmental abnormalities. Therefore, we would expect a eukaryotic organism that lacks telomerase to show a reduction in chromosome length in gametes. A, B, and C are not necessarily related to the function of telomerase.

Which of the Following Characteristics Would You Expect of a Eukaryotic