DNA replication occurs in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells, where the chromosomal DNA is housed. In prokaryotic cells, which do not have a defined nucleus, DNA replication occurs in the cytoplasm. In both types of cells, replication begins at specific sites on the DNA called origins of replication. In eukaryotic cells, multiple origins are used to initiate replication simultaneously, speeding up the process due to the larger genome size. The basic mechanisms of DNA replication are shared across eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms, although there are some differences in the enzymes involved and the replication machinery’s complexity.
