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Okazaki fragment

Definition

A short segment of DNA (100 to 200 nucleotides in eukaryotes) synthesised on the lagging template strand in the 5-prime to 3-prime direction away from the replication fork. Fragments are joined by DNA ligase after their RNA primers are replaced.

Related terms

DNA polymerase
The enzyme that synthesises new DNA by adding deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates complementary to the template strand. In humans, polymerase delta copies the lagging...
Frameshift mutation
A change in the reading frame of a coding sequence caused by an insertion or deletion of a number of nucleotides that...
Point mutation
A change in a single nucleotide in the DNA sequence. A transition substitutes one purine for another or one pyrimidine for another...
Semi-conservative replication
The mode of DNA copying in which each daughter double helix retains one parental strand and acquires one newly synthesised strand, confirmed...
Short tandem repeat (STR) slippage
Replication slippage at a repetitive locus where the template and nascent strands temporarily misalign. If the nascent strand slips forward, one repeat...

Explained in

  • DNA Replication and MutationA short segment of DNA (100 to 200 nucleotides in eukaryotes) synthesised on the lagging template strand in the 5-prime to 3-prime direction away from the repl...

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