Steps of DNA replication considered in detail
It is the genetic carrier of the genetic material. DNA or DNA determines whether you get green, blue or brown eyes, how tall you get, what skin color you have. All the characteristics of the physical constitution, but also partly of the psychological characteristics, lie on it. The replication of the genetic material enables the cell to reproduce in several steps.
General information on the reproduction of the genetic material
- The DNA is a double helix strand that is semi-conservatively doubled through replication. Semi-conservative means that the double strand is separated into two individual strands and to which two new complementary strands are then attached.
- The strands stay together through hydrogen bonds between the strands. The hydrogen bonds are therefore the glue of DNA.
The steps of DNA replication
- The replication of the genetic material takes place in three essential steps or Phases. These steps only take place in a certain phase of cell division. In animal and plant eukaryotes (cells with a nucleus), replication takes place before mitosis (indirect nucleus division) in the synthesis phase (replication phase).
- In the first step, replication is in the initiation phase (phase 1). Here, the DNA double helix is broken at one point. The split genetic material is marked and a polymerase (enzyme) is attached to the marking. It is broken up by a helicase (enzyme), the marking by a primase (enzyme).
- Now comes the elongation phase (phase 2). This phase is crucial, as the broken genetic material is now complementarily reproduced. The synthesis takes place through the formation of a new strand, which "copies" the old, now individually existing strand in reverse. The double strand is divided and the resulting single strands become double strands again.
How does DNA come about in eukaryotes?
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- Finally, there is the termination phase (phase 3). This step completes the replication. The synthesis is ended and the new double helix is stabilized by hydrogen bridges (connections between the single strands).
- The replication between the eukaryotes and the prokaryotes (cells without a nucleus) is largely equivalent. There are only differences in complexity. Because in eukaryotes, different building blocks such as proteins are made differently.
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