The word "telomerisation" is spelled with two "e"s, even though the pronunciation only includes one. The IPA phonetic transcription of the word is /tɛləməraɪˈzeɪʃən/, where the "e" sound appears twice, but one of them is silent. The word refers to a chemical process that adds telomeres, which protect chromosomes during cell division. Despite its tricky spelling, telomerisation is an essential process in understanding biological ageing and developing treatments for age-related diseases.
Telomerisation is a chemical process that involves the addition of telomeric repeat units to a single molecule or polymer chain. Telomeres are repetitive sequences of nucleotides found at the ends of chromosomes, and their primary function is to protect the coding regions of DNA from degradation or fusion with neighboring chromosomes. Telomerase, an enzyme, is responsible for maintaining and extending the length of telomeres.
In telomerisation, telomeric repeat units are added to existing molecules or polymer chains through specialized reactions. This process can be used to modify and enhance the properties of various materials, including polymers and proteins. By increasing the length of the telomeric chains, the physical and chemical properties of the resulting products can be altered, such as their viscosity, surface activity, and solubility.
Telomerisation techniques have practical applications in various industries. For example, in polymer chemistry, telomerisation can be utilized to modify the behavior and performance of synthetic polymers, enhancing their stability, reactivity, or compatibility with other substances. It can also be employed in bioconjugation, a process that links biological molecules to polymers, to improve their solubility, targeting abilities, or stability.
Overall, telomerisation is a versatile chemical process that involves the addition of telomeric repeat units to enhance the properties of various materials or modify their behavior, reactivity, and functionality.
The word "telomerisation" is derived from the combination of two terms: "telomere" and "isation".
1. Telomere: The term "telomere" was introduced in 1972 and is of Greek origin. It comes from the combination of "telos", meaning "end", and "meros", meaning "part". Telomeres are specialized sections of repetitive nucleotide sequences at the ends of chromosomes that protect them from degradation or fusion with other chromosomes. They play a crucial role in cell division and aging.
2. -isation: The suffix "-isation" is derived from the Latin suffix "-izatio" or "-ationem", both of which mean "action" or "process of". It is commonly used in English and several other languages to convert verbs into nouns that represent activities, processes, or results.