Question

The elongation of the leading strand during DNA synthesis ______.

Options

• depends on the action of DNA polymerase

• produces Okazaki fragments

• occurs in the 3’ → 5’ direction

• progresses away from the replication fork

Answer 1

The elongation of the leading strand during DNA synthesis depends on the action of DNA polymerase.

Explanation:

DNA replication is a highly coordinated process where the leading strand is synthesised continuously. This elongation is specifically catalysed by the enzyme DNA polymerase, which adds new nucleotides to the growing DNA chain. Because DNA polymerase can only function in the 3’ → 5’ direction, it moves smoothly along the template towards the replication fork. Unlike the lagging strand, the leading strand does not produce Okazaki fragments, which are short, discontinuous segments formed when synthesis must move away from the fork.