BIOL 3080 Lecture 2 - DNA Replication: Comprehensive Study Notes

Low Mutation Rates: Essential for the perpetuation of life as we know it.
Cell Types and Inheritance:
- Gametes: Reproductive cells (sperm and egg).
- Zygote: Formed by the fusion of two gametes.
- Germ-line cells: Cells that give rise to gametes; mutations here are heritable by offspring.
- Somatic cells: All other body cells; mutations here are not inherited by offspring.

Nucleotide Acceptance: Incoming deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates are accepted only if they correctly base pair with the template strand (A-T, G-C).
Synthesis Initiation: The 3' hydroxyl (OH) group of the growing DNA strand attacks the high-energy phosphate bond (specifically, the \alpha phosphate) of the incoming nucleotide, releasing pyrophosphate (PP), to initiate the phosphodiester bond formation.

Process: During replication, the two strands of the parental DNA duplex separate.
Template Function: Each parental strand serves as a template for the synthesis of a new daughter strand, adhering strictly to the base-pairing rules (A with T, G with C).
Replication Fork: The Y-shaped region where the parental DNA is unwound and new DNA strands are synthesized.
Meaning: Each new DNA molecule consists of one original parental strand and one newly synthesized daughter strand. This is why it's called