Unit 6: Idea #1 Telomeres

Telomeres act as the protective caps for chromosomes and as with the shoelace metaphor it protects the chromosome like the shoelace from outside damage. As a human gets older and the chromosomes split more and more the telomere cap gradually gets shorter and the chromosomes are exposed to damage which in turn ages the human body.

However there is an enzyme called telomerase which carries a genetic template and could return the telomeres to their original length to continue protection. The only problem is that telomerase can effectively continue the production of too many chromosomes and in turn lead to an overload. Cancer also has a telomerase template which is why cancer can duplicate itself infinitely.

My idea for the replication of chromosomes:
Act 1:
A little organic looking factory within the human body is producing chromosomes. In one end one chromosome pair goes in and out the other comes out two pairs. This goes on until they seem to get shorter from the telomeres deteriorating and the factory starts to produce them at a slower rate.
Act 2:
A glowing telomerase enzyme floats down from the darkness and attaches itself to the factory. The output of the chromosomes goes back to normal length and the factory is even more supercharged in its production. Everything seems like its going great but then.....
Act 3:
The chromosomes start coming out too fast and the factory starts becoming warped. The chromosomes starts to look deformed and the same goes for the factory. It ends up really bloated and swollen and turns into a cancer cell spewing out misshapen chromosomes.