Final answer:
DNA replication occurs in three main steps: initiation, where DNA unwinds and strands separate; elongation, involving the addition of new bases to form complementary strands; and termination, which completes the replication process.
Step-by-step explanation:
Three Basic Steps of DNA Replication
The process of DNA replication is critical for cell division and the transmission of genetic information. This complex mechanism can be simplified into three basic steps:
- Initiation: DNA unwinds at the origin of replication thanks to the action of the enzyme DNA Helicase, which breaks the hydrogen bonds between the complementary bases of the DNA strands, thereby forming a replication fork.
- Elongation: New bases are added to the complementary parental DNA strands by the enzyme DNA polymerase. One new strand, called the leading strand, is made continuously, while the other, known as the lagging strand, is made in pieces called Okazaki fragments.
- Termination: Once the entire genome has been replicated, the replication process concludes, with any remaining RNA primers being removed and replaced with DNA, and the new strands being sealed off by the enzyme DNA ligase.