Polümeraasiga

Polümeraasiga is the Estonian term for polymerase. In molecular biology, polymerases are enzymes that synthesize long chains of polymers, which are molecules made up of repeating structural units. These repeating units are called monomers. The most well-known types of polymerases are involved in DNA replication and transcription.

DNA polymerase is crucial for copying DNA. It uses a single-stranded DNA molecule as a template and adds nucleotides one by one to build a new, complementary DNA strand. This process is essential for cell division and heredity. RNA polymerase, on the other hand, is responsible for transcription, where it synthesizes an RNA molecule from a DNA template. This RNA molecule can then be used to produce proteins or perform other functions within the cell.

There are various types of polymerases, each with specific functions and properties. Some are found in bacteria, others in eukaryotes (organisms with complex cells), and some are even used in laboratories for techniques like the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which amplifies specific DNA sequences. The ability of polymerases to accurately assemble monomers into polymers is fundamental to life as we know it.