Chapter 12-2

NWRC BIO 30
 DNA is the Genetic Material
Therefore it must
(2) Replicate faithfully.
(3) Have the coding capacity to generate
proteins and other products for all
cellular functions.

• “A genetic material must carry out two jobs:

duplicate itself and control the development of
the rest of the cell in a specific way.”
• -Francis Crick
Semiconservative model:

• Semiconservative
model:
• Daughter DNA
molecules contain
one parental
• strand and one
newly-replicated
strand
 Semi-Conservative Model
• Each strand acts as a template for the
synthesis of a new DNA molecule by the
sequential addition of complementary
base pairs, thereby generating a new DNA
strand that is the complementary
sequence to the parental DNA. Each
daughter DNA molecule ends up with one
of the original strands and one newly
synthesized strand.
Watch
Video which
explains
replication
and
particularly
the
significance
of
OKAZAKI
Fragments
 Base Pairing
• The two strands of the double helix are first
separated by enzymes. With the assistance of
other enzymes, spare parts available inside the
cell are bound to the individual strands following
the rules of complementary base pairing:
adenine (A) to thymine (T) and guanine (G) to
cytosine (C).
Two strands of DNA are obtained from one,
having produced two daughter molecules which
are identical to one another and to the parent
molecule.
DNA replication
• DNA replication
• one strand is made
continuously and is
called the Leading
strand
• the other strand
needs to be made in
pieces (called
Okazaki fragments)
and is called the
lagging strand.
DNA replication
• One strand needs to
be made in pieces
because the
polymerase can only
work by making the
new strand in the 5’
to 3’ direction (only
works in one
direction).
 Assessment Questions

• 1. 3’ TACCCCGCG 5’
 Assessment Questions

• 2. Helicase is an enzyme
that unwinds the DNA
• DNA Ligase hooks the
Okazaki fragments together
 Assessment Questions

• 2. Helicase is an enzyme
that unwinds the DNA
• DNA Ligase hooks the
Okazaki fragments together
 Assessment Questions

• 3.