Question

The enzyme DNA polymerase works only in the 5′ to 3′ direction. How does this affect the leading strand and the lagging strand?

A. DNA polymerase can work on both the leading and the lagging strand but is much faster on the leading strand.

B. DNA polymerase can use only the leading strand as a template. A different enzyme is used to synthesize DNA on the lagging strand.

C. DNA polymerase can work continuously on the leading strand but works discontinuously on the lagging strand, creating Okazaki fragments.

D. DNA polymerase can work continuously on the leading strand but must flip the lagging strand around before it can work on it.

Answer 1

The correct answer is option C.

Step-by-step explanation:

DNA polymerase is an enzyme of replication which adds nucleotides to the new or nascent DNA strand using energy in the form of ATP.

The type III of this enzyme binds new nucleotides in 5′ to 3′ direction after reading the bases of existing strand and adding complementary base pairs at 3’-OH group of the primer.

The new strand moving in the direction of 5' to 3' is synthesized continuously called leading strand as DNA polymerase moves in the same direction of replication fork but the strand running opposite to replication fork is made in fragments called Okazaki fragments called lagging strand.

Thus, option C is the correct answer.