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DNA replication occurs through a complex series of steps involving several enzymes and proteins. The process begins with the enzyme helicase, which unwinds the DNA double helix by breaking the hydrogen bonds between complementary base pairs. Once the strands are separated, single-strand binding proteins (SSBs) stabilize the single-stranded DNA. Next, the enzyme primase synthesizes short RNA primers to provide a 3′ hydroxyl group for the enzyme DNA polymerase. DNA polymerase then adds complementary nucleotides to the growing strand in the 5′ to 3′ direction. On the leading strand, DNA polymerase synthesizes the strand continuously, while on the lagging strand, it synthesizes in short Okazaki fragments. DNA ligase joins the Okazaki fragments on the lagging strand, and the newly synthesized DNA strands are completed. The result is two identical DNA molecules, each containing one original strand and one newly synthesized strand.
BNO Team