Question

List the 4 events that must occur in the lagging strand prior to completing its
replication.

Answer 1

In the replication of the lagging strand, an RNA primer is synthesized, nucleotides are added by DNA polymerase III, RNA primers are replaced by DNA, and DNA ligase forms phosphodiester bonds between Okazaki fragments.

Step-by-step explanation:

Before the lagging strand is completed in DNA replication, four essential events must occur:

Primase synthesizes an RNA primer for each Okazaki fragment.

DNA polymerase III adds nucleotides to the 3'-OH end of the RNA primer.

The RNA primers are removed by exonuclease activity, and the resulting gaps are filled with DNA nucleotides by DNA polymerase I.

DNA ligase seals the gaps between each Okazaki fragment by forming phosphodiester bonds, completing the synthesis of the lagging strand.

This replication process involves several key enzymes and occurs in a direction away from the replication fork, resulting in the production of short DNA pieces known as Okazaki fragments.