What are the structure of replicating fork?
Replication fork is a structure which forms within the long helical DNA at the time of DNA replication.
Creation of replication occurs by helicases.
Helicases break down the hydrogen bonds between two DNA strands which results in a structure having two branches ,each branch made up of single strand of DNA.
Two strands formed act as the template for the leading and lagging strands.
Leading strand:It is strand which is synthesized in the same direction as the growing replication fork.This type of DNA replication is continous
Lagging strand:It's synthesized in direction opposite to direction of growing replication fork.
Synthesis of lagging strand occurs in short separated fragments called Okazaki fragments.
Okazaki fragments are synthesized in a discontinuous form and later connected together by enzyme DNA ligase for creation of lagging strand at the time of DNA replication.
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