James Watson discovered that polymerases do not start copying DNA at the tip of the chromosome, they start coding part way into the DNA. Telomerase is most likely responsible for increasing the continuous division of cells. Malignant cancer cells switch the gene on after it has been switched off by most cells in development. Ridley discusses why aging may be caused by evolution, and said that “Natural selection has designed all parts of our bodies to last just long enough to see our children into independence, no more.” So, cancer is most definitely linked to age.
Citation:
Ridley, Matt. Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters. New York: HarperCollins, 1999. Print.
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