Question

Explain how the synthesis of the lagging strand occurs in DNA replication.

Answer 1

Lagging strand is one of the two strands of DNA at the replication fork and is synthesized complementary to the leading strand . Lagging strand is extended away from the replication fork in small fragments called okazaki fragments.Each require it's own primer to start the synthesis and the replication is not continuous. Later the fragments are joined by DNA ligase.

The DNA polymerase moves in the opposite direction to helicase slowly than in the leading strand so that only small fragment of DNA can be produced at a time. Hence, this strand is called lagging strand.