Dna Replication Persuasive Essay

The semiconservative nature of DNA replication. In a round of replication, each of the two strands of DNA is used as a template for the formation of a complementary DNA strand. The original strands therefore remain intact through many cell generations. In a round of replication, each of the two strands of DNA is used as a template for the formation of a complementary DNA strand. The original strands therefore remain intact through many cell generations. There were three models of replication possible from such a scheme: conservative, semi-conservative, and dispersive. In conservative replication, the two original DNA strands, known as the parental strands, would re-basepair with each other after being used as templates to synthesize new strands;

The result will be two DNA molecules, each containing an old and a new strand. Therefore, DNA replication is called semiconservative. The original strand is referred to as the template strand because it provides the information, or template, for the newly synthesized strand. DNA replication relies on the double-stranded nature of the molecule. One double stranded DNA molecule, when replicated, will become two double-stranded molecules, each containing one original strand and one newly synthesized strand. You remember that the two strands of DNA run antiparallel: one from the 5’ to the 3’, and the other from the 3’ to the 5’. The synthesis of the new DNA strand can only happen in one direction: from the 5’ to the 3’ end. In other words, the new bases are always added to the 3’ end of the newly synthesized DNA strand. So if the new nucleotide is always added to the 3’ end of an existing nucleotide, where does the first nucleotide come from? In fact, DNA polymerase needs an “anchor” to start adding nucleotides: a short sequence of DNA or RNA that is complementary to the template strand will work to provide a free 3’ end. This sequence is called a