Question

The reason that there are Okazaki fragments during DNA replication is ultimately because:

A) Some parts of the chromosome are made of RNA and different polymerases have to be used
B) Polymerases can only synthesize in the 5' to 3' direction
C) There are only enough dNTP's to support quick replication on one strand, so the other strand lags behind it
D) It is necessary to "slow down" one of the strands so that replication does not occur before cells have a chance to grow

Answer 1

B) Polymerases can only synthesize in the 5' to 3' direction

Step-by-step explanation:

The leading strand's directionality is 3' to 5', so polymerase has no problem with replicating this one. But the lagging strand has the opposite directionality, so the polymerase must work in the opposite direction of the replication fork.In consequence, the replication process undergoes periodic breaks, and the enzymes have to stop and start again while helicase separates both strands, resulting in the polymerization of okazaki fragments.