Cell or Molecular Dysfunction
telomere shortening
tel·o·mere short·en·ing
Subclass of:
Cellular Senescence; DNA Replication
Definitions related to telomere shortening:
  • Telomere Shortening occurs every time linear eukaryotic chromosomes are replicated due to premature stoppage of the DNA polymerase complex in the highly repetitive telomere DNA region several hundred bases before the end of a chromosome.
    NCI
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • The loss of some TELOMERE sequence during DNA REPLICATION of the first several base pairs of a linear DNA molecule; or from DNA DAMAGE. Cells have various mechanisms to restore length (TELOMERE HOMEOSTASIS.) Telomere shortening is involved in the progression of CELL AGING.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
Try this search on: Farlex, Merriam-Webster, Oxford Dictionary, or Wordnik

This content should not be used in place of medically-reviewed decision support reference material or professional medical advice. Some terms may have alternate or updated definitions not reflected in this set. The definitions on this page should not be considered complete or up to date.