Final answer:
The statement is true; both leading and lagging strand synthesis require RNA primers to begin DNA replication.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that replication of both the leading and lagging strands during DNA synthesis requires an RNA primer is true. For the leading strand, a single RNA primer is used to initiate synthesis, enabling the DNA polymerase to add nucleotides continuously in the 5' to 3' direction. In contrast, the lagging strand is synthesized discontinuously, with each of the short Okazaki fragments requiring a new RNA primer. The lagging strand is therefore initiated multiple times as the replication fork progresses.
Primase synthesizes these RNA primers at the start of the leading strand and for each Okazaki fragment on the lagging strand. The primers are eventually replaced by DNA nucleotides, and DNA ligase seals the fragments, creating a single, continuous DNA strand.