Now when we talk about DNA replication, we're going to say that it requires a host of multiple enzymes/proteins working together. Here, we've compiled the list of the most important enzymes and proteins necessary for DNA replication. First, we're going to start out with helicase. Helicase is an enzyme and will display it as a triangle that is yellow. Its job is to unwind the DNA double helix, and it does it at the replication fork. We'll talk about the replication fork later on as a kind of landmark that we find when we're talking about DNA replication. Now, when we say unwind, remember it's cutting through our hydrogen bonds between the nitrogenous bases in order to expose our template strands for replication.
Next, we have what are called stabilizing proteins. Here, these stabilizing proteins, we're going to depict them as these orange balls here. Their job is to bind to and stabilize the single-stranded DNA. Now, DNA wants to be in a double helix form. We need this protein to basically keep it open so that our replication can start. We can start to copy our template strands to produce our daughter strands.
Next, we have what's called our primase, which we're depicting as this image here, this pink magenta type color. Here, its job is to create RNA primers as a starting point for replication.
Next, we're going to have this bluish figure, this is our DNA Polymerase. Now, what is its job? Well, it creates a new DNA strand using the template strand of DNA. So, its job is to make our complementary or daughter strand. And then finally, we have DNA ligase. Here, what it does here is it's going to join, so it joins together new strands of DNA.
So again, it's all of these enzymes and proteins working in conjunction with one another that allows us to do DNA replication. Here we're just talking about what they resemble, what their names are, and what their function will be. Later on when we're talking about DNA replication, we'll see how the process actually happens. Alright. So keep in mind these important enzymes and proteins.