Biology
Telomere
Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that shorten with each cell division, eventually leading to cellular senescence when critically short.
Detailed Explanation
Telomeres consist of repetitive DNA sequences (TTAGGG in humans) and associated proteins (shelterin complex). Their shortening is a core hallmark of aging. Epitalon activates telomerase (hTERT), the enzyme that adds telomeric repeats, counteracting this shortening. Telomere length is a biomarker of biological age and cellular replicative capacity.