Question

Short segments of newly sythesized DNA are joined into a continous strand by

Answer 1

Short segments of newly synthesized DNA, known as Okazaki fragments, are joined into a continuous strand by the enzyme DNA ligase which forms covalent phosphodiester linkages.

Step-by-step explanation:

Short segments of newly synthesized DNA are joined into a continuous strand by an enzyme called DNA ligase. During DNA replication, the Okazaki fragments on the lagging strand are synthesized in short stretches, each starting with an RNA primer. These fragments are later joined together to form a continuous DNA strand by DNA ligase, which catalyzes the formation of a phosphodiester linkage between the 3' OH end of one fragment and the 5' phosphate end of the next, creating a seamless DNA molecule.