Telomeres, schmelomers....

... sure, some may have heard of them. But as in much of real science, they have their own interesting stories.
They've been noticed for a century, since the optics of light microscopes became much more able to resolve tiny cellular components. In many chromosomes, these would be the little distinguishable bulbs on both ends of these little pieces of compacted, histone wrapped, genetic bodies. A little of these get lost at each cell division, and when no longer present, the cell enters a final cycle, this one of programmed cell death. One of many functions of this system is to protect chromosomes during the beautiful process of Mitosis (meiosis), whereby microtubules attached to a sister bulb at the center of each chromosome, oddly named Centromeres, help to line the little buggers all up, and as cables, to tow them apart. First really peeked in on with scanning electron microscopes. Really, this is all so that a copy of each genetic plan can be sent to each daughter cell (why not son cell?) , after cell division is completed. In the absence of Telomeres, things between/among chromosomes seem to get a little too sticky in the process.
An enzyme system, known as the Telomerases, is main actor here. An integral part of a separate genetic system, with its own complemennt of Ribonucleic "acids", energy, etc., for control of the consumption of telomerase length. And, oh my CS homies, ---what shrinks can also grow. As gnomoid Runts like the Vierk should know. But I digress, TWICE?!?!.
Well, as in much of biology at these tiny levels, there's lots of redundancy, which isn't always a good thing. These now well known chromosomal parts can also be involved in LENGTHENING themselves, thereby contributing to LONGER cell life. As in the initial rapid multiplication of cancer cell lines, stems cells, and so on, where rapid division is important..
But here's the redundancy kicker. Seems that these Telomeric subsystems can also control nearby genes for other vital cellular functions. Introns and extrons. And who knows what else? So totally 'Efing slick, it brings the shakes to these shrimpy small man's little legs. Thrice?
Of course, thousands of hard working scientists gave humanity this information. But perhaps three were judged, fairly or not, as most central. Work done at the Karolinska Institutet, a cousin of the famous Vierk Institutet (for the study of political syndromes).
All hail: Carol Greider (while still a doctoral student!), Jack Szostak and lab leader, Eliz. Blackburn. Frice?
WTF? And twice as many women lab creatures as men get the prize? What's wrong with this Nobel Prize picture, I ask you?