(CNN) Science has identified in the plant kingdom the "missing link" of cellular immortality between human and single-celled animals, according to a new study led by scientists from Arizona State University and Texas A&M University.

"This is the first time that we have identified the detailed structure of the telomerase component from plants," said co-author Dr. Julian Chen, a professor of biochemistry at Arizona State University. The study was published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal.

Methuselah is a 4,845-year-old bristlecone pine tree in eastern California, named after the Biblical figure with the longest lifespan in the Bible of 969 years. Methuselah's exact location is undisclosed to protect it from vandalism. Methuselah was the world's oldest known living non-clonal organism, until the 2013 discovery of another pine germinated in 3051 BC with an age over 5,000 years.

Telomerase is the enzyme that creates the DNA of telomeres, the compound structures located at the tips of our chromosomes. Telomeres protect our cells from aging as they multiply.

"So in terms of fundamental research, this is a really big breakthrough because now finally we have a way to study telomerase in plants and to understand how different or similar they are from animals," Chen said.

Could the discovery possibly lead to humans one day living as long as the fabled "Methuselah" tree, a bristlecone pine species that can live over 5,000 years? Maybe one day.