AP BIOLOGY

THE MOLECULAR BASIS OF INHERITANCE

DNA MAKES RNA MAKES PROTEIN

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
DNA is always replicated in the ____ to ____ direction.
A
none of these
B
5’ to 3’
C
3’ to 5’
D
either 3’ to 5’ or 5’ to 3’
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -DNA is always synthesized in the 5’-to-3’ direction, meaning that nucleotides are added only to the 3’ end of the growing strand. As shown in Figure 2, the 5’-phosphate group of the new nucleotide binds to the 3’-OH group of the last nucleotide of the growing strand.

Detailed explanation-2: -New DNA is made by enzymes called DNA polymerases, which require a template and a primer (starter) and synthesize DNA in the 5’ to 3’ direction. During DNA replication, one new strand (the leading strand) is made as a continuous piece.

Detailed explanation-3: -The need for accuracy probably explains why DNA replication occurs only in the 5′-to-3′ direction. If there were a DNA polymerase that added deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates in the 3′-to-5′ direction, the growing 5′-chain end, rather than the incoming mononucleotide, would carry the activating triphosphate.

Detailed explanation-4: -DNA replication goes in the 5’ to 3’ direction because DNA polymerase acts on the 3’-OH of the existing strand for adding free nucleotides.

Detailed explanation-5: -DNA polymerase builds DNA in the 5 prime to 3 prime direction and works on the 3 prime to 5 prime original DNA strands. Now let’s look at the lagging strand. When the replication fork is open, its 3’ end lies at the base of the fork, and the 5’ end lies at the opposite end.

There is 1 question to complete.