ABSTRACT
How is a complete set of genes passed to the daughter cells when the parent cell divides? In this chapter we will uncover part of the answer by examining the way in which DNA molecules are replicated. First, we will look at the overall pattern of replication and ask how a single DNA double helix gives rise to two identical daughter helices. We know that complementary base pairing enables polynucleotides to be copied, but there are several ways in which complementary base pairing could lead to replication of the double helix. We must discover which of these is correct. Then we must study the biochemistry and enzymology of DNA replication. What proteins are involved, and how are the new polynucleotides synthesized?
