BRAINCAKEDNA Replication
Organisms grow and reproduce by cell division. Before the cell divides, the DNA must be replicated to ensure the amount of DNA in each cell stays the same and each cell has the correct number of chromosomes and the complete genome.
DNA replication is semi-conservative. This means that each new copy of DNA is made up of an old strand and a new strand is synthesised on the old strand using the old strand as a template. The new strand is complementary to the old strand.
The enzyme DNA helicase separates the two strands and unwinds the helix by breaking the hydrogen bonds between the bases.
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Key terms in this lesson
- condensation reaction
- A reaction that joins two molecules together with a covalent bond, releasing a water molecule.
More in Biological Molecules
- DNA
- RNA
- DNA Extraction
- Role of RNA
- Continuous and Dis-continuous Replication
- Replication Errors
- The Genetic Code
- Protein Synthesis
All 63 lessons in Biological Molecules · All OCR AS-level Biology topics