DNA Replication Quiz

DNA Replication

• The primary function of DNA replication is to create an identical copy of the DNA molecule, ensuring that genetic information is passed on to daughter cells during cell division.
• Helicase, a critical enzyme, unwinds the DNA double helix during replication, breaking the hydrogen bonds between the base pairs, creating a replication fork.
• The function of helicase is to separate the two strands of DNA, creating a replication fork, which provides access to the template strands for the replication process.
• DNA polymerase is responsible for adding nucleotides to the new DNA strand using the pre-existing strand as a template, following the base pairing rules (A with T, and C with G).
• The role of topoisomerase is to relieve the tension ahead of the replication fork. It prevents the DNA from becoming overly twisted or tangled by breaking and rejoining the DNA strands as they are unwound by helicase.
• Primase, a specific type of RNA polymerase, is responsible for synthesizing short RNA primers on the DNA template during replication. These primers provide a starting point for DNA polymerase to begin adding nucleotides.