Final answer:
The conceptual 90 degree angle of newly synthesized DNA strands after polymerization is a stylized representation for educational purposes and does not represent an actual bending of the DNA. This depiction helps to illustrate the differentiation between the leading and lagging strand during DNA replication and the helical structure of DNA.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to why a newly synthesized DNA strand appears to bend at a 90 degree angle after DNA polymerization. During the process of DNA replication, the enzyme DNA polymerase adds nucleotides to a growing DNA strand in a 5' to 3' direction. However, the exact reason for the depiction of DNA strands bending at a 90 degree angle in some illustrations may be due to the visual simplification of the complex three-dimensional structure of DNA during replication rather than a literal change in direction of the strands. This stylized representation can help in distinguishing between the newly synthesized leading and lagging strands, as well as the overall action of the DNA polymerase and associated proteins as they orchestrate replication.
The DNA polymerase extends the leading strand continuously and the lagging strand discontinuously, producing Okazaki fragments. Each newly synthesized strand spirals around the template strand, maintaining the double helix structure, which may contribute to the perception of a bend, though in reality, the DNA remains in a helical shape, not a sharp angle.