DNA Replication

• The DNA unwinds as the enzymes, helicase, causes the hydrogen bonds between the strands to break.
• This casues the polynucleotide chains to separate, and expose the bases.
• Each chain now acts as a template.
• Free nucleotide molecules (mRNA) in the nucleus position along the exposed bases on both strands.
• Hydrogen bonds form between the complementary bases on the template strand and the nucleotide molecules.
• The enzyme DNA polymerase joins the adjacent nucleotides to form a complementary strand.
• The DNA winds up into a double helix and overall, 2 complete DNA strands have formed.
• This is known as semi-conservative replication; as each DNA molecule now contains 1 'new' strand and 1 'old'strand.