Question

Explain how the lagging strand is synthesized even though DNA polymerase can add nucleotides only to the 3' end.

A. DNA polymerase can add nucleotides to the 5' end.
B. The lagging strand is synthesized in the 5' to 3' direction.
C. The lagging strand is synthesized in fragments called Okazaki fragments.
D. The Okazaki fragments are joined together by RNA ligase.

Answer 1

The lagging strand is synthesized in Okazaki fragments because DNA polymerase can only add nucleotides to the 3' end. These fragments are later joined by DNA ligase to form a continuous strand.

Step-by-step explanation:

The synthesis of the lagging strand in DNA replication involves the creation of Okazaki fragments because DNA polymerase can add nucleotides only to the 3' end.

The lagging strand is synthesised in short segments that are later joined together, while DNA polymerase reads the template strand in the 3' to 5' direction and adds nucleotides in the 5' to 3' direction.

Therefore, the correct answer to the student's question is C: The lagging strand is synthesized in fragments called Okazaki fragments. The fragments are then joined together by an enzyme called DNA ligase, not RNA ligase.