Question

A special property of DNA that ensures the equal distribution of similar genetic material to the offsprings is

Answer 1

Hint: DNA is an important genetic material that carries all the genotypic and phenotypic characteristics of all organisms. In eukaryotes, DNA is a double stranded helix made of nucleic acids namely, cytosine, adenine, guanine and thymine along with alternating phosphate and sugar groups.

Complete answer:
Replication is a special property of DNA that ensures equal distribution of similar genetic material to their offspring. It is a biological process through which two DNA molecules are produced from one original DNA molecule. It takes place in the nucleus. The overall process can be divided into three stages, as follows:
Initiation: To begin replication, the DNA strands start unwinding at a specific location called ‘origin of replication’ at multiple places and form a replication fork. Initiator proteins and DNA helicase are involved in activating and catalysing the unwinding process.
Elongation: Once the strands are opened, DNA polymerase starts adding nucleotides complementary to the parent strand. The addition of nucleotides is always unidirectional from 5’ to 3’. Because of this, in the strand called leading strand, there is a continuous replication (template 3’ to 5’) and in other strand, called lagging strand discontinuous replication occurs (template 5’ to 3’). The smallest strands produced in discontinuous replication are called okazaki fragments. These are later joined by the enzyme DNA ligase.
Termination: After the strand is replicated, the replication forks started at multiple points are halted by the binding of certain proteins to termination site sequence.

Note:
DNA replication is a semi-conservative model, which means that the DNA is replicated by using the existing DNA strands as a template and that they are not newly synthesised entirely. Through this model, any damage in the DNA can be repaired and the whole process occurs faster and more accurately. A number of enzymes and proteins regulate and catalyse the DNA process making it an enzyme dependent process.