DNA Replication in Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Systems

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering key terms and concepts related to DNA replication in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms.

The process by which a cell duplicates its DNA before cell division.

DNA Replication

The original strand of DNA that serves as a guide for creating a new strand.

Template Strand

The newly synthesized strand of DNA that is formed during replication.

Daughter Strand

A hypothesis where the original double strand remains intact and a new double strand is formed.

Conservative Replication

The model in which each new double-stranded DNA molecule consists of one original strand and one newly synthesized strand.

Semiconservative Replication

A technique used to separate DNA based on its density by spinning it in a centrifuge.

Density Gradient Centrifugation

An experiment that demonstrated semiconservative replication of DNA.

Meselson & Stahl Experiment

A mechanism of DNA replication characterized by the formation of a replication bubble, often seen in prokaryotes.

Theta Replication

A method of replicating circular DNA, where one strand is nicked and replication proceeds around the circle.

Rolling Circle Replication

Short segments of DNA synthesized discontinuously on the lagging strand during DNA replication.

Okazaki Fragments

The strand that is synthesized continuously in the same direction as the replication fork movement.

Leading Strand

The strand that is synthesized discontinuously, resulting in Okazaki fragments.

Lagging Strand

An enzyme that synthesizes short RNA primers needed for DNA replication.

Primase

An enzyme that seals nicks in the sugar-phosphate backbone of DNA, linking Okazaki fragments.

DNA Ligase

An enzyme that alleviates the torsional strain ahead of the replication fork.

Topoisomerase

An enzyme that adds repetitive nucleotide sequences to the ends of chromosomes (telomeres).

Telomerase

The Y-shaped region where the DNA is being unwound and replicated.

Replication Fork

Proteins that bind to single-stranded DNA during replication to prevent it from re-forming a double-stranded structure.

Single-Strand Binding Proteins

The direction in which DNA and RNA polymerases synthesize new strands, starting from the 5' end to the 3' end.

5'-3' Direction

Exonuclease Activity

The ability of some DNA polymerases to remove mismatched nucleotides from the DNA strand.

The process where RNA primers are replaced with DNA during DNA replication.

Primer Removal