During replication, the new DNA strand is synthesized
A) in the 3ʹ-to-5ʹ direction.
B) in the 5ʹ-to-3ʹ direction.
C) in both the 3ʹ-to-5ʹ and 5ʹ-to-3ʹ directions from the replication fork.
D) from one end to the other, in the 3ʹ-to-5ʹ or the 5ʹ-to-3ʹ direction.
E) None of the above

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The new DNA strand is synthesized in the 5ʹ-to-3ʹ direction from the replication fork. This means that the DNA polymerase enzyme moves along the parental template strand in the 3ʹ-to-5ʹ direction and synthesizes the new strand in the opposite direction, adding nucleotides to the 3ʹ end of the new strand. This is known as semi-conservative replication.

During Replication, the New DNA Strand Is Synthesized