What is the role of DNA helicase in semi-conservative replication?
It breaks hydrogen bonds between complementary bases, allowing the double helix to unwind and the strands to separate, exposing their bases.
AQA A-Level Biology - (7402) · 3.1.5.2
Revise AQA A-Level Biology - (7402) specification point 3.1.5.2, DNA replication, with free active-recall flashcards. Flip through the set or review every question and answer below.
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What is the role of DNA helicase in semi-conservative replication?
It breaks hydrogen bonds between complementary bases, allowing the double helix to unwind and the strands to separate, exposing their bases.
What acts as a template for each new DNA strand during replication?
An original DNA strand.
What are the two complementary DNA base pairs?
Adenine–thymine and cytosine–guanine.
What is the role of DNA polymerase in forming new DNA strands?
It catalyses condensation reactions that join adjacent nucleotides, forming the sugar-phosphate backbone.
Why is DNA replication described as semi-conservative?
Each resulting DNA molecule contains one original strand and one newly synthesised strand.
How does complementary base pairing support genetic continuity between cell generations?
It allows the DNA base sequence to be copied.