AP Biology DNA Replication

Front

What is the lagging strand in DNA replication?

Back

The lagging strand is the DNA strand that is synthesized in short fragments, known as Okazaki fragments, during DNA replication.

Front

What enzyme is responsible for synthesizing new DNA strands?

Back

DNA polymerase is the enzyme that synthesizes new DNA strands by adding nucleotides complementary to the template strand.

Front

What is the role of helicase in DNA replication?

Back

Helicase unwinds the double helix of DNA, separating the two strands to allow for replication.

Front

What is the function of ligase in DNA replication?

Back

Ligase is the enzyme that joins Okazaki fragments on the lagging strand, sealing the gaps between them.

Front

What is the complementary base pairing rule in DNA?

Back

In DNA, adenine (A) pairs with thymine (T), and cytosine (C) pairs with guanine (G).

Front

What is the significance of topoisomerase during DNA replication?

Back

Topoisomerase relieves the tension and supercoiling ahead of the replication fork by making temporary cuts in the DNA strands.

Front

What are Okazaki fragments?

Back

Okazaki fragments are short sequences of DNA nucleotides synthesized on the lagging strand during DNA replication.

Front

How does DNA replication differ between the leading and lagging strands?

Back

The leading strand is synthesized continuously in the direction of the replication fork, while the lagging strand is synthesized discontinuously in short fragments.

Front

What is the role of RNA primers in DNA replication?

Back

RNA primers provide a starting point for DNA polymerase to begin synthesizing the new DNA strand.

Front

What is the function of DNA polymerase in DNA replication?

Back

DNA polymerase adds nucleotides to the growing DNA strand and also has proofreading capabilities to correct errors.