Okazakifragmenten

Okazakifragmenten, also known as Okazaki fragments, are short, newly synthesized DNA fragments that are formed during DNA replication in the lagging strand of the DNA molecule. They are named after Reiji Okazaki, who discovered them in 1966. Okazaki fragments are typically 1000 to 2000 base pairs in length and are synthesized discontinuously by DNA polymerase III in the 5' to 3' direction. The synthesis of Okazaki fragments is initiated by the action of primase, which synthesizes short RNA primers that serve as starting points for DNA polymerase III. The newly synthesized DNA fragments are then ligated together by DNA ligase to form a continuous lagging strand. Okazaki fragments play a crucial role in DNA replication, as they allow for the continuous synthesis of the leading strand while the lagging strand is synthesized in a discontinuous manner. The formation of Okazaki fragments is a key feature of the semi-conservative replication of DNA, where each new DNA molecule consists of one original strand and one newly synthesized strand.