Which mode of chain growth is catalysed by DNA polymerases in cells?
Which mode of chain growth is catalysed by DNA polymerases in cells?
DNA is the genetic material in all living cells. It contains all information necessary for a cell and hence an organism's survival, growth and reproduction. DNA is the hereditary material. It is passed on from parent cells to offspring. DNA exists as a double stranded helix, where one strand runs 5'-3' and the other strand runs 3'-5'.
Because DNA can be passed down only from parent cells to offspring, a dividing cell must replicate its DNA so that there are two molecules of DNA, each for a new daughter cell.
DNA replication, which occurs in the S phase of the cell cycle, occurs semiconservatively, wherein the two strands of the parental DNA separate, and each strand acts as a template for the synthesis of two new strands. This results in the formation of two new DNA molecules, and each DNA molecule is composed of one parental strand and one new strand.
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