DNA replication
Meaning of DNA replication: DNA replication is the cellular process that copies a cell's entire DNA sequence before it divides into two daughter cells.
Definition of DNA replication
DNA replication is the process by which a cell copies its entire DNA sequence prior to cell division, ensuring that each resulting daughter cell receives a complete set of genetic instructions. The process begins when the two strands of the DNA double helix are separated, exposing each strand so it can serve as a template for building a new, matching strand.
Specialized proteins carry out this process, including enzymes that unwind the double helix and an enzyme called DNA polymerase, which adds new building blocks, called nucleotides, to match each exposed template strand according to strict pairing rules. The result is two complete DNA molecules, each made of one original strand and one newly built strand.
Because faithful copying is essential to passing genetic information accurately from one cell generation to the next, the replication process includes proofreading and repair mechanisms that detect and correct many errors, although some mistakes that escape correction can persist as mutations.
Used in a sentence
The laboratory study examined how a particular protein affects the speed of DNA replication.
Good to know
Errors that escape the proofreading mechanisms built into DNA replication can persist as mutations, which is one way that genetic changes arise and are passed on when a cell divides.