Question

What enzyme is shown below and describe its action?

a) DNA Polymerase - It replicates DNA, with the substrate being nucleotides, creating a new DNA strand.
b) RNA Polymerase - It transcribes DNA into RNA, using nucleotides as substrates.
c) Helicase - It unwinds the DNA double helix, preparing it for replication or transcription.
d) Restriction Enzyme - It cuts DNA at specific recognition sequences, playing a role in genetic engineering.

Answer 1

DNA Polymerase is the enzyme that synthesizes new DNA strands by adding nucleotides to the 3' end of a growing chain, creating a complementary copy of the DNA template strand. The correct option is a) DNA Polymerase - It replicates DNA, with the substrate being nucleotides, creating a new DNA strand.

Step-by-step explanation:

The enzyme shown in the description is DNA Polymerase, which plays a crucial role in DNA replication. DNA polymerase is responsible for adding nucleotides to the 3' end of a growing DNA chain, ensuring that each newly formed strand is complementary to its template strand.

This enzyme works by matching each base in the template strand with the corresponding complementary base in a free nucleotide and catalyzes the formation of an ester bond between the 5' phosphate group of the incoming nucleotide and the 3' OH end of the new DNA strand.

During DNA replication, the DNA double helix is unwound by DNA helicase, and the DNA polymerase then synthesizes the new strands using the original strands as templates. This replication process ensures that genetic information is accurately passed on to each daughter cell during cell division. The correct option is a) DNA Polymerase - It replicates DNA, with the substrate being nucleotides, creating a new DNA strand.