The enzyme DNA covalently links nucleotides to synthesize new DNA strands together during DNA replication.

The enzyme DNA covalently links nucleotides to synthesize new DNA strands together during DNA replication.

Step 1: DNA replication begins with the unwinding of the double helix structure of the DNA molecule. This is done by an enzyme called helicase, which breaks the hydrogen bonds between the base pairs.

Step 2: Once the DNA strands are separated, another enzyme called DNA polymerase comes into action. DNA polymerase is responsible for synthesizing new DNA strands.

Step 3: DNA polymerase starts by binding to a specific sequence of nucleotides called the primer. The primer provides a starting point for DNA synthesis.

Step 4: DNA polymerase then adds complementary nucleotides to the template strand of DNA. It does this by matching the nucleotides with their complementary bases (A with T and C with G) and covalently linking them together.

Step 5: The process continues in a 5' to 3' direction, meaning that DNA polymerase adds nucleotides to the growing DNA strand in the 5' to 3' direction.

Step 6: As DNA polymerase moves along the template strand, it continues to add nucleotides and synthesize a new DNA strand.

Step 7: The two newly synthesized DNA strands are complementary to the original strands. This means that each new DNA strand has a sequence that is complementary to the template strand it was synthesized from.

Step 8: The process of DNA replication continues until the entire DNA molecule has been replicated.

Overall, the enzyme DNA polymerase plays a crucial role in linking nucleotides together to synthesize new DNA strands during DNA replication.