Again, this chapter deals with cancer. In 1972, James Watson discovered that polymerases do not start copying DNA at the tip of the chromosome, instead, they start coding the DNA part way so a bit of the telomere is left off. Telomerase, a protein, is responsible for increasing the continuous divisions of cells. Cancer cells switch the gene on when it should be off, allowing the cells to replicate nonstop. In this chapter, Ridley linked cancer with age, as people get older, they are more prone to cancer because the decrease in accuracy in cell division.
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