Final answer:
High processivity at the replication fork ensures rapid DNA duplication, with prokaryotes like E. coli replicating their genomes swiftly due to a higher rate of nucleotide addition, while eukaryotes use multiple origins of replication to manage their larger genomes.
Step-by-step explanation:
High processivity at the replication fork is crucial because it ensures rapid chromosome duplication during the S phase of the cell cycle. In prokaryotes like E. coli, DNA replication starts from a single origin and proceeds bidirectionally, adding around 1000 nucleotides per second, which facilitates the swift replication of its relatively small genome.
In contrast, eukaryotes, with larger and linear chromosomes, rely on multiple origins of replication to achieve complete replication, though at a slower rate of approximately 100 nucleotides per second, as exemplified in humans and yeast. During DNA duplication, cohesin proteins play a crucial role in holding together the newly formed sister chromatids at the centromere until they are separated during anaphase II.