Final answer:
The side of the replication fork where synthesis is discontinuous is the lagging strand, characterized by the production of Okazaki fragments which are later joined to form a continuous strand.
Step-by-step explanation:
The side of the replication fork where synthesis is discontinuous is known as the lagging strand. During DNA replication, DNA polymerase can only add nucleotides in one direction, from 5' to 3'. While the leading strand is synthesized continuously as the replication fork progresses, the lagging strand must be synthesized in short stretches of DNA called Okazaki fragments.
These fragments are later joined together to form a continuous strand. The replication of the lagging strand is thus not continuous but rather occurs in a discontinuous fashion, in contrast to the leading strand which is synthesized smoothly in the same direction as the replication fork.