Telomere Length in Birds Predicts Longevity

By Heidi Ledford of Nature magazine Protective caps known as telomeres that help to preserve the integrity of chromosomes can also predict lifespan in young zebra finches ( Taeniopygia guttata ), researchers have found. Telomeres are stretches of repetitive DNA sequence that are found at the ends of chromosomes, where they help to maintain cell viability by preventing the fraying of DNA and the fusion of one chromosome to another

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Telomere Length in Birds Predicts Longevity