If the left end of the daughter strand indicated by the arrow in the figure is being synthesized in one continuous piece, then

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The arrow indicates the direction in which the DNA is being synthesized. As the arrow points towards the right, it means that the DNA is being synthesized in the 5' to 3' direction, which is the same as the direction of the movement of the replication fork. As the left end of the daughter strand is being synthesized in one continuous piece, it means that the lagging strand is being synthesized in shorter fragments (Okazaki fragments). Therefore, the DNA at point C on the lagging strand would be synthesized in one continuous piece. Points A, B, and D are on the leading strand or Okazaki fragments, and their modes of synthesis cannot be determined from the given information.

If the Left End of the Daughter Strand Indicated by the Arrow