key are 1.2 - DNA replication Flashcards
What happens on the first stage of replication?
The weak hydrogen bonds between the base pairs breaks because the DNA molecule unwinds and unzips
What happens in the second stage of replication?
Primers bind to the template strand of DNA
What are primers?
Primers are short strands of complementary nucleotides
What happens in the third stage of replication?
DNA is replicated by an enzyme called DNA polymerase, which uses complementary base pairing to add nucleotide to the 3’ end of the new DNA strand.
Why does DNA polymerase need a primer?
DNA polymerase needs a prier to start DNA replication as it binds to the 3’ end of the template strand allowing polymerase to add DNA nucleotides.
How is the leading strand synthesized?
The leading strand is synthesised continuously
How is the laggng strand synthesized?
The lagging strand is synthesized in fragments which are joined together by an enzyme called ligase.
DNA is a semi-conservative process what does this mean?
