The following diagram shows the parental strands of a DNA molecule undergoing replication. Draw the daughter strands present in the replication bubble, indicating a. The polarity of daughter strands b. The leading and lagging strands c. Okazaki fragments d. The locations of RNA primers

Key Concepts

DNA Replication

DNA replication is the biological process by which a cell duplicates its DNA, resulting in two identical copies. This process occurs during the S phase of the cell cycle and involves unwinding the double helix, synthesizing new strands complementary to the original strands, and ensuring accurate copying through various enzymes.

Leading and Lagging Strands

During DNA replication, the leading strand is synthesized continuously in the direction of the replication fork, while the lagging strand is synthesized discontinuously in short segments called Okazaki fragments, moving away from the fork. This difference arises because DNA polymerase can only add nucleotides in the 5' to 3' direction.

RNA Primers and Okazaki Fragments

RNA primers are short sequences of RNA that provide a starting point for DNA synthesis, as DNA polymerase cannot initiate synthesis without them. On the lagging strand, multiple RNA primers are laid down to initiate the synthesis of Okazaki fragments, which are later joined together by DNA ligase to form a continuous strand.