Telomerase as a possible key to bypass reproductive cost.

Three widely accepted assumptions are based on telomere research in human cells: (1) telomere length is a determinant of replicative aging; (2) telomerase activity in somatic cells supports the proliferative capacity of the cells and thus contributes to their regenerative potential and is a determinant of organismal lifespan; and (3) the lack of telomerase activity acts as a tumor suppression mechanism. However, from a broader view, the link between telomere biology and cellular and organismal aging, as well as tumor development, is in dispute, as I demonstrate with numerous examples of invertebrate and vertebrate species. Consequently, I propose a novel hypothesis that telomere biology, via somatic telomerase activity, reflects aging rate from the perspective of species reproduction strategy.