1. Before you start this topic, you need to understand the structure of dsDNA and the principles of replication.

2. The information you need to study this section is in the section on DNA replication in your textbook (pages 210 and 211). It is very important that you also study the relevant notes you took during lecture.

3. In class we discussed several enzymes that help form the replication fork and synthesize new DNA. The first thing you should do is have a broad familiarity with their names and what they do. Below is the list of enzymes that we discussed in class. Copy that list and next to each enzyme with a single short sentence, write its function

Helicase
DNA polymerase
Primase
Ligase

4. Recall that bacteria have three DNA polymerases. Below is a list of the two polymerases that are typically used in replication. Write them down on a piece of paper and next to each one, write its specific function during replication and what enzyme activities help it do that. Recall that DNA polymerases can perform three functions: they can synthesize DNA, they can proofread the DNA that they just made and they can remove nucleotides from a DNA or RNA strand. Which of those functions are performed by the two polymerases? Which one is the main polymerase, and which one is used to finish off small segments of DNA known as Okazaki fragments? If you can't remember what the polymerases do, check your notes and also take a look at the DNA polymerases section of this guide.

DNA polymerase I
DNA polymerase III

5. It is very important to know the activities of the two DNA polymerases involved in bacterial DNA replication in order to understand the actual process of replication, especially that of the lagging strand.

6. At this point, you should be able to put everything together and draw a diagram of the actual process of DNA replication.