BIOLOGY
NUCLEIC ACIDS
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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It forms bonds between DNA nucleotides.
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It adds new nucleotides to the DNA helix.
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It forms the DNA helix.
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It separates DNA strands.
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Detailed explanation-1: -DNA helicases are essential during DNA replication because they separate double-stranded DNA into single strands allowing each strand to be copied. During DNA replication, DNA helicases unwind DNA at positions called origins where synthesis will be initiated.
Detailed explanation-2: -DNA helicases catalyze the disruption of the hydrogen bonds that hold the two strands of double-stranded DNA together. This energy-requiring unwinding reaction results in the formation of the single-stranded DNA required as a template or reaction intermediate in DNA replication, repair and recombination.
Detailed explanation-3: -Then, a protein known as helicase attaches to and breaks apart the hydrogen bonds between the bases on the DNA strands, thereby pulling apart the two strands. As the helicase moves along the DNA molecule, it continues breaking these hydrogen bonds and separating the two polynucleotide chains (Figure 1).
Detailed explanation-4: -Proteins called single-strand binding proteins coat the separated strands of DNA near the replication fork, keeping them from coming back together into a double helix.