Question

Which of the following may be a further advantage of using RNA primers during initiation of a strand in replication?

a. Using primers may decrease mistakes, since they are more likely during initiation than elongation and are thus removed when the RNA is replaced.
b. Using primers is faster.
c. The RNA of the primers is more stable.
d. The RNA of the primers is more likely to lead to changes in base sequence, which enhances the rate of mutation and thus evolution.
e. The RNA of the primers allows more efficient packing of the chromosomes after its removal.

Answer 1

Using RNA primers during initiation of a strand in replication decreases mistakes and is confirmed by the discovery of RNA nucleotides at the end of Okazaki fragments. Primase, a special RNA polymerase, synthesizes RNA primers before DNA polymerase extends the DNA strands at replication forks.

Step-by-step explanation:

A further advantage of using RNA primers during initiation of a strand in replication is that using primers may decrease mistakes, since they are more likely during initiation than elongation and are thus removed when the RNA is replaced. The discovery of short stretches of RNA nucleotides at the 5' end of Okazaki fragments confirmed the notion of RNA primers. Cells use primase, a special RNA polymerase active during replication, to make those RNA primers against DNA templates before a DNA polymerase can grow the DNA strands at replication forks.