Question

35. Which of the following rules apply to the synthesis of nucleic acids?

A. Nucleotides are added to the 5' end of nucleic acids
B. The synthesis of nucleic acids cannot occur without the presence of an enzyme to catalyze the reaction
C. Strands are synthesized in a parallel direction such that one end of the double-stranded product has the 3' ends and other has the 5' ends
D. Complementary pairing between bases is required for copying nucleic acids

Answer 1

The correct option regarding the rules of nucleic acid synthesis is that enzymes are needed to catalyze the reaction. Nucleotides are added to the 3' end, and strands are synthesized antiparallel to each other with complementary base pairing.

Step-by-step explanation:

The synthesis of nucleic acids entails a series of enzymatic processes to form the DNA and RNA molecules. Among the assertions provided, the one that applies to the synthesis of nucleic acids is B. The synthesis of nucleic acids cannot occur without the presence of an enzyme to catalyze the reaction. This is because enzymes like DNA polymerase play a crucial role in facilitating the addition of nucleotides to a growing DNA strand. Contrary to option A, nucleotides are added to the 3' end of a nucleic acid, not the 5' end. Regarding option C, strands are synthesized in an antiparallel fashion, where one strand is oriented 5' to 3', and the complementary strand is oriented 3' to 5'. For option D, while complementary base pairing is essential, it is not a 'rule' of synthesis per se, but rather a guiding principle for how nucleotides are matched during replication.