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    Polymerase (Poly Meaning Many, Mer Meaning Pieces, and - Ase Meaning

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    Daniela Gil Gallego
    DNA replication is catalyzed by DNA polymerase enzymes. It involves the separation of the double helix into two strands, with new strands synthesizing to complement each original strand. This results in two DNA molecules each with one original and one new strand, making replication semi-conservative. DNA polymerase uses the original strand as a template to add nucleotides to the 3' end of the new strand in a specific order determined by base pairing between A-T and G-C. A short primer sequence is required for replication to start.

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    Polymerase (Poly Meaning Many, Mer Meaning Pieces, and - Ase Meaning

    Uploaded by

    Daniela Gil Gallego
    14 views2 pages
    DNA replication is catalyzed by DNA polymerase enzymes. It involves the separation of the double helix into two strands, with new strands synthesizing to complement each original strand. This results in two DNA molecules each with one original and one new strand, making replication semi-conservative. DNA polymerase uses the original strand as a template to add nucleotides to the 3' end of the new strand in a specific order determined by base pairing between A-T and G-C. A short primer sequence is required for replication to start.

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    DNA Polymerase

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    DNA replication is catalyzed by DNA polymerase enzymes. It involves the separation of the double helix into two strands, with new strands synthesizing to complement each original strand. This results in two DNA molecules each with one original and one new strand, making replication semi-conservative. DNA polymerase uses the original strand as a template to add nucleotides to the 3' end of the new strand in a specific order determined by base pairing between A-T and G-C. A short primer sequence is required for replication to start.

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    14 views2 pages

    Polymerase (Poly Meaning Many, Mer Meaning Pieces, and - Ase Meaning

    Uploaded by

    Daniela Gil Gallego
    DNA replication is catalyzed by DNA polymerase enzymes. It involves the separation of the double helix into two strands, with new strands synthesizing to complement each original strand. This results in two DNA molecules each with one original and one new strand, making replication semi-conservative. DNA polymerase uses the original strand as a template to add nucleotides to the 3' end of the new strand in a specific order determined by base pairing between A-T and G-C. A short primer sequence is required for replication to start.

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    of 2

    The process of 

    DNA replication is catalyzed by a type of enzyme called DNA


    polymerase (poly meaning many, mer meaning pieces, and –ase meaning
    enzyme; so an enzyme that attaches many pieces of DNA). Observe Figure 1: the
    double helix of the original DNA molecule separates (blue) and new strands are
    made to match the separated strands. The result will be two DNA molecules, each
    containing an old and a new strand. Therefore, DNA replication is called
    semiconservative. The term semiconservative refers to the fact that half of the
    original molecule (one of the two strands in the double helix) is “conserved” in the
    new molecule. The original strand is referred to as the template strand because it
    provides the information, or template, for the newly synthesized strand.

    Figure 1. By Madprime(wikipedia) (DNA replication split horizontal) CC BY-SA 2.0

    Figure 2. Primer and Template

    DNA replication relies on the double-stranded nature of the molecule. One double


    stranded DNA molecule, when replicated, will become two double-stranded
    molecules, each containing one original strand and one newly synthesized strand.
    You remember that the two strands of DNA run antiparallel: one from the 5′ to the
    3′, and the other from the 3′ to the 5′. The synthesis of the new DNA strand can
    only happen in one direction: from the 5′ to the 3′ end. In other words, the new
    bases are always added to the 3′ end of the newly synthesized DNA strand. So if
    the new nucleotide is always added to the 3′ end of an existing nucleotide, where
    does the first nucleotide come from? In fact, DNA polymerase needs an “anchor”
    to start adding nucleotides: a short sequence of DNA or RNA that is
    complementary to the template strand will work to provide a free 3′ end. This
    sequence is called a primer (Figure 2).

    How does DNA polymerase know in what order to add nucleotides? Specific base


    pairing in DNA is the key to copying the DNA: if you know the sequence of one
    strand, you can use base pairing rules to build the other strand. Bases form pairs
    (base pairs) in a very specific way. Figure 3 shows how A (adenine) pairs
    with T (thymine) and G (guanine) pairs with C (cytosine). It is important to
    remember that this binding is specific: T pairs with A, but not with C. The molecular
    recognition occurs because of the ability of bases to form specific hydrogen bonds:
    atoms align just right to make hydrogen bonds possible. Also note that a larger
    base (purine, A or G) always pairs with a smaller base (pyrimidine, C or T).

    Figure 3. DNA chemical structure. Modification of DNA chemical structure by Madeleine Price Ball; CC-
    BY-SA-2.0

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