Which one of the following makes use of RNA as a template to synthesize DNA?
A
Reverse transcriptase
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B
DNA dependent RNA polymerase
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C
DNA polymerase
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D
RNA polymerase
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Solution
The correct option is A Reverse transcriptase
DNA polymerase carries out the process of copying parental DNA to form daughter DNA molecules with identical nucleotide sequences, called replication.
RNA polymerase is the enzyme of transcription which is the process by which parts of the genetic information encoded in DNA are copied precisely into RNA.
The RNA polymerase that synthesizes RNA using DNA strands as the template is called DNA-dependent RNA polymerase, it is the enzyme that catalyzes the transcription process.
On the other hand, the enzyme which synthesizes DNA using an RNA template is called reverse transcriptase because the process goes in just the opposite direction to normal transcription.
Reverse transcription is carried out by RNA viruses.