The lagging strand is characterised by a series of short segments of DNA (Okazaki fragments) that will be joined together to form a finished lagging strand. The experiments that led to the discovery of Okazaki fragments gave evidence for which of the following ideas?
A) DNA polymerase is an enzyme that synthesises leading and lagging strands during replication only in one direction.
B) DNA is a polymer consisting of four monomers: adenine, thymine, guanine and cytosine.
C) DNA is the genetic material.
D) Bacterial replication is fundamentally different from eukaryotic replication. The key should not be way longer than the distractors.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The existence of Okazaki fragments indicated that DNA polymerase must synthesise the lagging strand in a discontinuous manner, creating short segments that must be joined together. This is because DNA polymerase can only synthesise in one direction on each strand, meaning that on the lagging strand, it must repeatedly jump back and start a new segment, rather than synthesising continuously like it does on the leading strand. This information supports the idea presented in option A. Option B is simply a statement of basic DNA structure, not specific to this experiment. Option C is true but not directly related to this experiment. Option D is false.

The Lagging Strand Is Characterised by a Series of Short