MHT CET Medical202625 April 2026Morning ShiftBiologyMolecular Basis of InheritanceActual
During replication of DNA, formation of new strand takes place ____________.
Options
- Ain 5' 3' direction on the leading template while in 3' 5' direction on the lagging template.
- Bin 5' 3' direction on the both the templates.
- Cin 3' 5' direction on the both the templates.
- Din 3' 5' direction on the leading template while 5' 3' direction on the lagging template.
Correct answer
B. in 5' 3' direction on the both the templates.
Step-by-step solution
DNA polymerase catalyzes the polymerization of deoxynucleotides only in one direction, which is 5' 3' . Therefore, during DNA replication, the formation of the new strand always takes place in the 5' 3' direction on both the leading and lagging templates. On the leading strand, the synthesis is continuous, while on the lagging strand, it is discontinuous (forming Okazaki fragments), but the direction of synthesis remains 5' 3' for both. Answer: in 5' 3' direction on the both the templates.