Final answer:
The leading strand requires only one RNA primer for its continuous synthesis, as opposed to the lagging strand which requires multiple primers for the discontinuous synthesis of Okazaki fragments.
Step-by-step explanation:
The leading strand in DNA replication requires only one RNA primer to initiate its synthesis. This is because the leading strand is synthesized continuously in the 5' to 3' direction, so it can be extended from this single primer.
Because of this continuous synthesis, only one RNA primer is needed at the 3' end of the leading strand to initiate the synthesis of the complementary DNA strand. The primer provides the free 3' hydroxyl group where DNA polymerase can add new nucleotides.
The synthesis of the leading strand is more straightforward compared to the lagging strand, which is synthesized discontinuously in Okazaki fragments and requires multiple RNA primers, each initiating a new fragment.