Question

The genetic code dictates our daily lives. It is something that each of our cells must dearly protect since it truly is our “recipe-book for life”. Keeping this in mind, apply your knowledge of genetics to answer the following:

Centromeres and telomeres contain many repetitive sequences:
a) Why would this be an advantage for the cell? Explain fully.

b) Would you expect exons to be in the telomeric and centromeric regions? Explain why or why not.

Answer 1

Genetic code is the set of rules and regulations used by living cells to translate information encoded within genetic material or code into proteins. The centromere is the specialized DNA sequence of a chromosome that joins a pair of sister chromatids (a dyad). They are characterized by highly repetitive DNA regions and bound kinetochore proteins, which are required for the attachment of microtubules to the chromosomes during mitosis. The telomere is a region of repetitive nucleotide sequences at each end of a chromosome, which protects the end of the chromosome from deterioration or from fusion with neighboring chromosomes. The centromere and telomere collectively help in protecting genomic instability and help in properly translating information encoded within genetic code into proteins.

Exons are coding regions of a sequence. Exon is any part of a gene that will encode a part of the final mature RNA produced by that gene after introns have been removed by RNA splicing. Yes, exons are present in the centromeric or telomeric region. Basically it will help in making our genetic information more stable and help in proper expression of genetic code into protein.