Cell rep. YT video

• Prokaryotic cells like E. coli replicate themselves quickly and efficiently through asexual reproduction
• Part of asexual reproduction involves cells making identical copies of their DNA before cell division
• Nucleotides consist of a deoxyribose sugar, a phosphate, and one of four nitrogenous bases: cytosine, thymine, adenine, and guanine
• Complementary base pairing in DNA involves cytosine forming three hydrogen bonds with guanine, and thymine forming two hydrogen bonds with adenine
• The DNA double helix has one strand oriented in a 5' to 3' direction and the other in a 3' to 5' direction, showing the anti-parallel nature of the DNA strands
• DNA replication occurs in a semi-conservative manner, with each DNA strand used as a template for the creation of a new double strand
• Replication begins at the origin of replication, where the DNA molecule is separated into two strands, and each original parent strand serves as a template for the addition of complementary nucleotides to form two new DNA molecules
• Enzymes involved in DNA replication include helicase, single-stranded binding proteins, DNA gyrase, DNA polymerase, primase, DNA ligase, beta clamps, and the clamp holder
• Continuous synthesis occurs on the 3' to 5' oriented parent strand (leading strand), while discontinuous synthesis occurs on the 5' to 3' oriented parent strand (lagging strand) in segments called Okazaki fragments
• DNA polymerase 1 replaces RNA primers with DNA nucleotides, and DNA ligase ensures bonding between fragments and replaced nucleotides, resulting in two identical copies of the DNA molecule after replication is complete
• DNA replication allows bacterial cells to ensure all daughter cells have the same genetic instructions as the parent cell, facilitating the growth of bacterial populations through cell division
• Y-shaped region where the double helix of the parent DNA splits into two strands, which are then copied


  Replication fork