General Science • BiologyHard
What is the primary biochemical role of the enzyme DNA ligase during the replication of genetic material in eukaryotic cells?
A. Unwinding the double helix structure by breaking hydrogen bonds between complementary nitrogenous bases
B. Synthesizing short RNA primer sequences required for DNA polymerase binding
C. Catalyzing the formation of phosphodiester bonds to join Okazaki fragments synthesized on the lagging strand✓ Correct Answer
D. Proofreading newly synthesized DNA strands to excise mismatched nucleotide bases
💡 Solution & Explanation
DNA ligase is an essential enzyme that seals nicks in the sugar-phosphate backbone by catalyzing the formation of phosphodiester bonds between adjacent nucleotides, thereby joining discontinuous Okazaki fragments on the lagging strand into a continuous strand. Helicase unwinds the double helix, primase synthesizes RNA primers, and DNA polymerase handles elongation and proofreading. DNA replication proceeds in the five-prime to three-prime direction exclusively.
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