NEETZoologyMolecular Basis of Inheritance
What are the fragments called that are synthesized discontinuously on one strand of the DNA during replication?
Options
- Aorigin of replication
- Breplication fork
- Cdiscontinuously synthesized fragments
- Dnone of the above
Correct answer
C. discontinuously synthesized fragments
Step-by-step solution
For long DNA molecules, since the two strands of DNA cannot be separated in its entire length (due to very high energy requirement), the replication occurs within a small opening of the DNA helix, referred to as replication fork. The DNA-dependent DNA polymerases catalyze polymerisation only in one direction, that is 5'🡪3'. This creates some additional complications at the replication fork. Consequently, on one strand (the template with polarity 3' 🡪 5'), the replication is continuous, while on the other (the templ