Final answer:
Okazaki Fragments are short DNA pieces on the lagging strand, synthesized in the opposite direction of the replication fork. The lagging strand is discontinuously synthesized and later joined together. Bidirectional replication allows the simultaneous synthesis of DNA in two directions, with one leading strand and one lagging strand.
Step-by-step explanation:
DNA replication is a critical biological process where a cell duplicates its DNA before cell division. This process is semiconservative, meaning each new DNA molecule contains one original and one new strand. Okazaki Fragments are short, newly synthesized DNA pieces that are formed on the lagging strand during DNA replication. They are a result of the DNA polymerase enzyme synthesizing DNA in a direction away from the replication fork because it can only add nucleotides in the 5′ to 3′ direction. These fragments are later joined together to form a continuous strand.
The Lagging Strand is the DNA strand that is synthesized discontinuously in the opposite direction of the replication fork movement. It requires multiple primers to initiate replication, and the Okazaki fragments are joined to form a complete strand by the action of DNA ligase.Bidirectional replication refers to the process where DNA replication progresses outward from a replication origin in two opposite directions. This efficient mechanism ensures that the replication of DNA is swift and accurate, with one leading strand being synthesized continuously and one lagging strand being synthesized in Okazaki fragments. In addition to DNA polymerase, other enzymes like helicase, which unwinds the DNA, and ligase, which joins DNA fragments, play crucial roles in the replication process.