Nuclease

DNA Replication End

Start
Maintenance: Removal of falsely attached
nucleotides
The enzyme nuclease verifies correct Verified
Parent DNA
attachment of nucleotides and removes falsely
DNA
attached ones from the strands. Telomerase
closes the unsealed DNA duplicates.

Initiation: Breakdown of hydrogen bonds

Helicase The hydrogen bonding between the
nucleotide bases initially gets broken down Duplicate
DNA Helicase
via the introduction of the enzyme, helicase.

DNA Polymerase

Bi-stranded DNA
(Replication Fork) Termination: Detachment of helicase and
DNA polymerase
RNA
Primase Helicase terminates breakdown of bonds, and
together with DNA polymerase, both detach
Elongation: Attachment of RNA Primase
from both leading and lagging strands.
RNA Primase attracts RNA nucleotides,
aided by a DNA polymerase, that bind to
the DNA nucleotide 3’-5’ sites or leading RNA Primase
strand.
DNA Removal of RNA Primase enzyme
Polymerase
Gaps within the lagging strand are filled Exonuclease
Expanded
up by exonuclease. Then, attached RNA (DNA Polymerase I)
Replication Fork
primers are removed for pre-termination.
II. Personal Reflection (Bidua)
There are various fields of study whereto my attention gets focused on, for most of the
time; however, amongst those, molecular biology is one that tickles my imagination really hard.
Aside from the abstract nature of the subject, terminologies are far harder to memorize than the
phone numbers of my acquaintances. However, although initially hard to grasp, concepts such as
DNA replication, transcription and translation, can easily be understood with the aid visualizations
– internet. Thereafter, one would get the gist of how internal bioprocesses within humans actually
proceed.
What would surprise them is that, as one gets a more in-depth knowledge of how useful
macromolecules, specifically, proteins, inside the body are made via the process of duplication,
transcription and translation, the more one is able to determine the causes of the most enigmatic
predicaments mankind has encountered: cancer. One would not even think that one of the main
causes of the most detrimental illness comes from the tiniest of faults: under-maintained replicated
DNAs and opened telomeric gaps.
Concepts such as these would prove quite useful in expanding the current chemical
engineering program horizon. One can delve into pharmaceuticals, research and development
industries targeted on preventing or, in an even better way, totally eliminating cancer: this I find
interesting.