Describe the role of DNA polymerase in the semi-conservative replication of DNA - AQA - A-Level Biology - Question 5 - 2020 - Paper 1

DNA polymerase is an enzyme that plays a crucial role in the semi-conservative replication of DNA. It performs the following functions:

1. Joining Nucleotides: DNA polymerase adds complementary nucleotides to the growing DNA strand, ensuring that the correct base pairs are formed according to the template strand.

2. Catalyzing Reactions: It catalyzes condensation reactions, which lead to the formation of phosphodiester bonds between adjacent nucleotides. This process links the nucleotides together, creating a long DNA molecule.

In summary, DNA polymerase is responsible for both the addition of new nucleotides and the catalysis of the reactions that bond the nucleotides together, thereby facilitating the semi-conservative replication process.