DNA creates daughters by using the parent strand as a template/guide.
Leading Strands
DNA pol III remains in the replication fork on a template strand and continuously adds nucleotides to the new complementary strand as the fork progresses. The DNA strand made b this is the leading strand.
Lagging Strand
A primase "reads" the tempate DNA and initiates sythesis of a short complementary RNA primer. A DNA polymerase extends the primed segments, forming Okazaki fragments. The RNA primers are then removed and replaced with DNA, and the fragments of DNA are joined together by DNA ligase.
RNA primer
Begins DNA replication by providing beginning nucleotides.
Replication Fork
A Y-shaped region where the parental strands of DNA are being unwound.
Primase
Synthesizes the RNA primer using the parental DNA as template.
Single-Strand Binding Proteins
Stabilize the unwound parental strands.
Helicase
Unwinds and separates the parental DNA strand.
Topoisomerase
Breaks, swivels, and rejoins the parental DNA ahead of the replication fork, relieving the strain caused by unwinding.
DNA Polymerase
Catalyze the synthesis of new DNA by adding nucleotides to a preexisting chain.
DNA Ligase
Joins the sugar-phosphate backbones of all the Okazaki fragments into a continuous DNA strand.