An individual undergoes chemotherapy, which affects rapidly dividing cells, including those in bone marrow and hair follicles. Which consequence related to cellular aging becomes most prominent following treatment?

💡 Explanation

Chemotherapy agents target rapidly dividing cells. Telomeres shorten with each division, and chemotherapy accelerates this process in affected cells because it forces more divisions as the body attempts to recover. Therefore, telomere shortening leads to impaired cellular replication, rather than the other age-related changes which occur over longer timescales.

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