The direction of DNA helicase activity determines the lagging and leading strands because DNA polymerase can only synthesize DNA in the 5' to 3' direction.
Once the helix is opened up, DNA polymerase only works in the 5'-3' direction, meaning the 3'-5' strand will now be the lagging strand
| Front | How does the direction of the DNA helicase determine the lagging and leading strand? |
|---|---|
| Back | Once the helix is opened up, DNA polymerase only works in the 5'-3' direction, meaning the 3'-5' strand will now be the lagging strand |
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