Final answer:
DNA replication occurs during the S phase, before the processes of mitosis and meiosis, ensuring each daughter cell gets an identical copy of the DNA. The base pairing rules are essential to this process.
Step-by-step explanation:
DNA replication is a process that involves the copying of DNA in a cell before it divides. This critical process ensures that each daughter cell receives an identical copy of the DNA. DNA replication occurs during the S phase of the cell cycle, right before the cell undergoes mitosis or meiosis.The correct answer to the question 'DNA replication occurs before which process?' is C) Mitosis and D) Meiosis. During DNA replication, two strands of parent DNA are unwound, and each strand is used as a template to synthesize complementary strands, resulting in two semi-conserved strands of DNA.The base pairing rules are fundamental to DNA replication, which govern the process of copying DNA to form an identical molecule of DNA, ensuring the integrity of genetic information through successive generations.