What is the function of telomerase in eukaryotic cells?

Telomerase plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of chromosomes in eukaryotic cells. Its primary function is to add telomeres, which are repetitive nucleotide sequences located at the ends of chromosomes. As cells undergo division, the DNA replication process usually cannot fully replicate the very ends of the chromosomes, leading to a gradual shortening of these sequences with each division. This shortening can have significant consequences, including cellular aging and senescence.

Telomerase operates by extending these telomeres, which helps to prevent their shortening. By maintaining the length of telomeres, telomerase ensures that the critical coding regions of DNA are preserved, allowing cells to divide without losing vital genetic information. This function is especially important in stem cells and certain types of cancer cells, where prolonged cell division is necessary.

The other choices pertain to different cellular processes. Unwinding DNA strands is primarily carried out by helicase during DNA replication. Creating RNA primers is the role of primase, which provides a starting point for DNA synthesis. Synthesis of DNA from nucleotides is the function of DNA polymerase, which incorporates nucleotides into a growing DNA strand during replication. Hence, each option corresponds to important cellular processes but does not reflect the