Final answer:
The clamp loader places the beta-clamp around the DNA strand using energy from ATP hydrolysis to assist with DNA replication. There are two monomeric units of DNA polymerase, each working on one strand of DNA at the replication fork.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of DNA replication, the clamp loader is an essential protein complex responsible for loading the DNA polymerase processivity factor, commonly referred to as the beta-clamp, onto DNA. This process is ATP-dependent, meaning that ATP is burned (hydrolyzed) to provide the necessary energy for the clamp loader to open the beta-clamp and place it around the DNA.
The beta-clamp forms a ring around the DNA strand, enhancing the processivity of the DNA polymerase by preventing it from dissociating from the template DNA strand during replication. Each replication fork has two main polymerases at the core of the replisome: one is associated with the leading strand and the other with the lagging strand, giving a total of two monomeric units involved in replication at one fork.