Final answer:
The statement is true. During DNA replication, the lagging strand is synthesized in short segments known as Okazaki fragments, which are later connected, making up half of the newly synthesized DNA in each daughter molecule.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement 'Each time the genome is replicated, half the newly synthesized DNA is stitched together from Okazaki fragments' is True. DNA replication is a semi-conservative process, which means each new DNA molecule contains one original strand from the parent molecule and one newly synthesized strand. Okazaki fragments are involved in the synthesis of the lagging strand, opposite to the leading strand, which is synthesized continuously.
In the replication of the DNA, one strand (the leading strand) is synthesized continuously in the direction toward the replication fork, while the other strand (the lagging strand) is synthesized in short stretches known as Okazaki fragments, which are synthesized in the direction away from the replication fork. These Okazaki fragments are later joined together to form a continuous strand.
Therefore, during DNA replication, the newly synthesized lagging strand is indeed made up of Okazaki fragments that are later connected to form a continuous DNA strand, accounting for half of the newly synthesized DNA in the daughter molecules.