replikatsioonilõplikud
Replikatsioonilõplikud refer to the terminal regions of DNA that are replicated during DNA replication. These regions pose a challenge for the cell's replication machinery, particularly in the case of linear chromosomes. Unlike the internal regions of DNA, which can be replicated continuously, the ends of linear chromosomes present a problem. This is because DNA polymerases, the enzymes responsible for DNA synthesis, require a primer to initiate replication. At the very end of a DNA strand, there is no upstream DNA to serve as a template for primer synthesis, leading to a potential shortening of the chromosome with each round of replication.
In eukaryotic organisms, this "end replication problem" is addressed by a specialized enzyme called telomerase. Telomerase