DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes. Telomeres prevent chromosomes from losing base pair sequences at their ends, while also stopping them from fusing to each other. Geneticist Elizabeth Blackburn compared telomeres to the little plastic caps on the ends of the shoelaces. Without them, the laces would begin to unravel. The word telomere derives from the Greek “telos” meaning end.

Chaotic, random motion of molecules due to the temperature.

Thymine is one of the four DNA bases.

A nontoxic compound, widely prized for its opaque quality in coatings, plastics, high-gloss paints etc. It is commonly found in food coloring, toothpaste, paint, and sunblock. Known as titanium dioxide, titanium(IV) oxide or titania.

A protein which controls muscle stretching and contraction. Also known as connectin, it is the longest known protein containing 26.926 amino acids.

Capable of causing injury or death, especially by chemical means; poisonous.

The process of converting a form of energy into a different one.

The state corresponding to the highest energy during a chemical reaction. It is a brief intermediate stage in the transformation from reactants to products during which there is a combination of new and old chemical bonds.

Tuberculosis, or TB, is an infectious bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which most commonly affects the lungs. It is transmitted from person to person via droplets from the throat and lungs of people with the active respiratory disease.