WHY ARE TELOMERES SO SIGNIFICANT IN THE AGING PROCESS?

Telomeres are segments of DNA at the end of our chromosomes.

Telomeres are often compared with the plastic tips on shoelaces, because they keep chromosome ends from fraying and tangling to each other. When that happens, it can cause genetic information to become corrupted which leads to cell malfunction, increases the risk of disease & degeneration and shortens lifespans.

Each time a cell divides, its telomeres become shorter. After years of cell division, telomeres become too short to function properly. At this point, cells are unable to divide further and become inactive, die or continue dividing anyway in an abnormal way— which can lead to numerous health problems.
Essentially, this is how our bodies age. The shorter telomeres become they are associated with symptoms of aging such as wrinkled skin and immune system decline. Researchers have found exceptionally short telomeres in people with progeria, a disease that causes young children to age rapidly. Their shortening process is also linked with aging, cancer and a higher risk of death.
Therefore it is not really our age that determines are biological aging process, it is the length of our telomeres. These hold the key to fundamental anti-aging and disease prevention.