Telomerase (EC 2.7.7.49), a unique enzyme that contains telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and a template-containing RNA component (TR), facilitates the solution of both chromosome end-related problems:  the chromosome end-protection problem and the chromosome end-replication problem. By synthesizing multiple tandem repeats of DNA (called telomeric DNA) encoded by its RNA template, telomerase compensates for the erosion of DNA ends during replication and provides the docking sites for telomeric proteins that bind specifically to the ends of chromosomes to distinguish them from broken DNA ends. The action of telomerase is required for the survival of continuously dividing cells such as those of unicellular eukaryotes[1].