ACTIVITY 6: CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE

Answer the following questions:

1. Why does the DNA molecule need to make identical copies of itself?

- DNA must replicate (copy) itself so that each resulting cell after mitosis and cell division
has the same DNA as the parent cell. All these cells, the parent cell and the two new
daughter cells, are genetically identical.
2. Why does DNA replication need to be error-free? Why does the DNA need to be a “careful reader?”

- When replication mistakes are not corrected, they may result in mutations, which
sometimes can have serious consequences. Proofreading by DNA polymerase corrects
errors during replication. Some errors are not corrected during replication, but are instead
corrected after replication is completed.
3. What is the importance of DNA replication to DNA’s function of storing genetic information?

- This is important during DNA replication, where the two DNA strands must be separated
before being copied and important for a cell's ability to read the instructions found within
the DNA. The bonds between nitrogenous bases are essential to DNA's double helix
structure, which resembles a twisted ladder.