DNA REPLICATION, TRANSCRIPTION AND TRANSLATION

Cell and Molecular Biology

Template

• A single stranded DNA sequence

that acts as the guiding pattern for
producing a complementary DNA
strand.

Semi conservative replication

 Process of replication in which

each DNA molecule is
composed of one parent strand
and one newly synthesized
strand.

DNA Helicase

• The enzyme that unwinds

double helical DNA by
disrupting hydrogen bonds.

Anneal

• The pairing of complementary

strands of DNA through hydrogen
bonding.
Single-stranded binding proteins

• A protein that keeps separate strands

of DNA apart.

DNA gyrase

• The bacterial enzyme that relieves the

tension produced by the unwinding of DNA
during replication.

Replication Fork

• The region where the enzymes

replicating a DNA molecule are
bound to untwisted, single
stranded DNA.

Replication Bubble

• The region where two replication

forks are I close proximity to each
other, producing a bubble in the
replicating DNA.
DNA polymerase III

• The enzyme responsible for

synthesizing complementary strands of
DNA during DNA replication

Deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates

• Molecules composed of a deoxyribose

bonded to three phosphate groups and a
nitrogenous base.

RNA Primer

• A sequence of 10 to 60 RNA bases that is

annealed to a region of single stranded
DNA for the purpose of initiating DNA
replication.

Primase

• The enzyme that builds RNA primers.

Leading strand

• The new strand of DNA that is synthesized

continuously during replication.
Lagging strand

• The new strand of DNA that is synthesized in

short fragments which are later joined together.

Okazaki fragments

Short fragments of DNA that are a result of

synthesis of the lagging strand during
DNAreplication.

DNA polymerase I

• An enzyme that removes RNA primers

and replaces them with the appropriate
deoxyribonucleotides during DNA
replication

DNA ligase

• The enzyme that joins DNA fragments

together by catalyzing the formation of a
bond between the 3' hydroxyl group and a
5' phosphate group on the sugar-phosphate
backbones.
 Exonuclease

An enzyme that cuts out nucleotides at the

end of a DNA strand.

What does it mean when DNA

replication is referred to as semi-
conservative?

• DNA replication is referred to as semi-

conservative because when the parent
strand unzips and acts as a template for
the newly replicated DNA, each new
daughter strand produced contains one
new DNA strand and half of the parent
strand.

Discussion questions: