Question

The elongation of the DNA strand during DNA synthesis

• A. progresses away from the replication fork
• B. occurs in the 3’ to 5’ direction
• C. depends on the action of RNA polymerase
• D. depends on the action of DNA polymerase

Answer 1

The correct option is D depends on the action of DNA polymerase

One of the key molecules in DNA replication are the enzymes, DNA-dependent DNA polymerases. They add nucleotides one by one to the growing DNA chain. This leads to the elongation of the DNA strand during the process of replication/DNA synthesis.

The process of eukaryotic replication occurs within the replication forks, which are small openings of the DNA helix.

The elongation of the DNA strand occurs in the 5'-3' direction of the strand being synthesised.

A primer must be synthesised by an enzyme called primase, which is a type of RNA polymerase, before DNA replication can occur.