Revisions

Original:

Telomere length is proven to be critical for all forms of life. All organisms require them to be able to survive. Telomeres are produced by the enzyme telomerase which “adds the TTAGGG telomere sequence to the ends of chromosomes. The sequence, made of nucleotides, can only be made from the enzyme which is not active in all cells. Telomerase is present in fetal cells, adult germ cells and tumor cells. The activity of telomerase is barely traceable in somatic or body cells, causing cells to age. According to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center’s principal investigator, Jerry Shay, “if telomerase is activated in a cell, the cell will continue to grow and divide.” He calls this concept the immortal cell theory which is important in aging and cancer (Shay). Telomerase is found in cancer cells in large amounts allowing the cells to become immortal and continuously replicate. The telomerase is able to prevent cells from aging. The “immortal cell theory” has sparked scientific research to find a new technology to be able to control telomere length (Shay). Many believe that this newly proposed technology is the cure to cancer and aging.

Revised:

Telomerase, an enzyme which adds a TTAGGG sequence of nucleotides to the ends of chromosomes, creates the very important caps, telomeres. These telomeres are vital for the survival of many forms of life. Nevertheless, this enzyme is only traceable in fetal cells, adult germ cells, and tumor cells. The absence of telomerase in somatic or body cells is a common aging factor of cells. According to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center’s principal investigator, Jerry Shay, “if telomerase is activated in a cell, the cell will continue to grow and divide.” The discussed theory titled “immortal cell theory”, is key to aging and cancer (Shay). Telomerase is found in cancer cells in large amounts allowing the cells to become immortal and continuously replicate. The telomerase is able to prevent cells from aging. The “immortal cell theory” has sparked scientific research to find a new technology to be able to control telomere length (Shay). Many believe that this newly proposed technology is the cure to cancer and aging.

Reflection:

The reading from Harris taught me many things that will help me to become a better writer. Being able to revise my work effectively ensures that it will better display my message and meanings. The advice that Harris gives to use the tracking changes feature in word processing to identify you changes is a great idea. Throughout my revision I focused on logical order of my paragraph. I believe a good order helps to make your work easier to read and gives it a better flow. I also focused on the clarity of my paragraph. I thought to myself, if I didn’t know previous knowledge of the topic would I understand? Previously before reading Harris, I would just use grammar and spelling check to revise my work, never actually rewriting anything. I hope to further develop my revision skills.