When a cell divides, its DNA undergoes a process called DNA replication, which ensures that each new daughter cell receives an identical copy of the genetic material. Here’s a brief overview of what happens during this process:
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Unwinding: The double helix structure of the DNA unwinds, facilitated by enzymes such as helicase. This creates two separate strands of DNA.
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Base Pairing: Each unwound strand serves as a template for the formation of a new complementary strand. DNA polymerase enzyme adds nucleotides to the growing strand based on the rules of base pairing (adenine pairs with thymine, and cytosine pairs with guanine).
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Formation of Two Identical DNA Molecules: After replication, there are two identical double helix molecules of DNA, each consisting of one original strand and one newly synthesized strand (this is known as semi-conservative replication).
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Cell Division: Once replication is complete, the cell undergoes division (mitosis in somatic cells or meiosis in gametes), and the two identical sets of DNA are distributed into the daughter cells.
Prediction: If the process is accurately followed under normal conditions, each daughter cell will have the exact same genetic information as the original cell. However, if there are errors during DNA replication or external factors that lead to mutations, the daughter cells may have genetic differences compared to one another or the original cell. These changes can affect the functionality of the cells and may lead to variations in traits in multicellular organisms.