DNA Replication

DNA replication

The process of duplicating the DNA, which occurs in every cell in the body except ganglion cells.

Semiconservative replication

The model of DNA replication where each new DNA molecule consists of one original (parental) strand and one newly synthesized strand.

Conservative replication

A model of DNA replication where the original DNA molecule remains intact, and an entirely new copy is made.

Dispersion model

A model of DNA replication that suggests the original DNA strands are broken into pieces and each piece is replicated, with pieces reassembling randomly.

Meiselson and Stahl experiment

An experiment that demonstrated semiconservative replication of DNA using nitrogen isotopes to differentiate between newly synthesized DNA and original DNA.

Leading strand

The DNA strand that is synthesized continuously towards the replication fork.

Lagging strand

The DNA strand that is synthesized discontinuously, away from the replication fork, resulting in Okazaki fragments.

Okazaki fragments

Short DNA fragments produced on the lagging strand during DNA replication.

Primer

A short strand of RNA added by primase to initiate DNA synthesis.

DNA polymerase III

The main enzyme responsible for synthesizing new DNA strands during replication.

Helicase

An enzyme that unwinds and separates the two strands of DNA by breaking hydrogen bonds between bases.

Topoisomerase

An enzyme that relieves the tension in the DNA structure ahead of the replication fork.

Single-stranded binding proteins

Proteins that bind to single-stranded DNA during replication to prevent the strands from re-annealing.

Replication bubble

The region of DNA where replication is occurring, formed by the unwinding of the double helix.

Initiator proteins

Proteins that bind to the AT-rich origins of replication, marking the starting points for DNA unwinding.

High fidelity

The characteristic of DNA replication that ensures a low error rate, maintaining the accuracy of genetic information.

Anti-parallel structure

The orientation of the two strands of DNA, where one strand runs in the 5' to 3' direction and the other runs in the 3' to 5' direction.