Which strand is synthesized continuously during DNA replication?

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Multiple Choice

Which strand is synthesized continuously during DNA replication?

Explanation:
The leading strand is synthesized continuously. DNA polymerase can only add nucleotides to a free 3' end, so synthesis proceeds in the 5' to 3' direction. At the replication fork, one parental template runs 3' to 5' toward the fork, allowing the new strand to be built in one unbroken piece as the fork opens. That uninterrupted, directional synthesis toward the fork is why this strand is the leading strand. The other template runs 5' to 3' toward the fork, so polymerase has to make short fragments that are later joined, giving the lagging strand. The terms template and complement describe the relationship to the new strand rather than the pattern of synthesis, so they don't designate a continuously synthesized strand in this context.

The leading strand is synthesized continuously. DNA polymerase can only add nucleotides to a free 3' end, so synthesis proceeds in the 5' to 3' direction. At the replication fork, one parental template runs 3' to 5' toward the fork, allowing the new strand to be built in one unbroken piece as the fork opens. That uninterrupted, directional synthesis toward the fork is why this strand is the leading strand.

The other template runs 5' to 3' toward the fork, so polymerase has to make short fragments that are later joined, giving the lagging strand. The terms template and complement describe the relationship to the new strand rather than the pattern of synthesis, so they don't designate a continuously synthesized strand in this context.

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