Final answer:
Sticky ends are created by specific restriction enzymes and have overhanging strands that facilitate hydrogen bonding with complementary sequences, making them easier to ligate compared to blunt ends.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sticky ends are overhanging strands on the ends of DNA molecules created by certain restriction enzymes like EcoRI and BamHI. These enzymes cut the DNA at specific recognition sites, leaving overhangs that are complementary to each other. Blunt ends are DNA fragments that are cut in a straight manner across both strands, leaving no overhangs.
Ligation of sticky ends is typically easier than blunt ends because the overhangs can hydrogen bond with complementary sequences on other DNA fragments, facilitating the action of DNA ligase that eventually joins the DNA backbones. Therefore, DNA fragments with sticky ends have a higher propensity for ligation compared to those with blunt ends.