Final answer:
Helicase unwinds the DNA double helix, and DNA polymerase synthesizes new complementary strands during DNA replication. The process includes starting at a replication fork and following a 5' to 3' direction for the leading and lagging strands.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Role of Helicase and DNA Polymerase in DNA Replication
DNA replication is a fundamental process where the DNA double helix is copied to produce two identical DNA molecules. The enzyme helicase plays a crucial role in this process by unwinding the double helix and creating a replication fork. This unwinding is necessary because it separates the two strands of DNA, each serving as a template for the creation of a new complementary strand. Topoisomerase works to prevent supercoiling ahead of the replication fork, while single-stranded binding proteins stabilize the unwrapped DNA strands.
DNA polymerase is another vital enzyme in DNA replication, functioning to synthesize the new strands by adding nucleotides complementary to the template strand. DNA polymerase operates differently on the leading and lagging strands due to the anti-parallel nature of DNA. Replication occurs in the 5' to 3' direction, requiring an RNA primer for initiation. While the leading strand is synthesized continuously, the lagging strand is synthesized in segments, known as Okazaki fragments, which are later joined together to form a complete strand.