What are Okazaki fragments?

Okazaki fragments are short sequences of DNA that are synthesized on the lagging strand during DNA replication. The lagging strand is synthesized discontinuously because DNA polymerase can only add nucleotides in a 5’ to 3’ direction. As replication forks move along the DNA, the lagging strand must be synthesized in short segments, which are the Okazaki fragments. These fragments are later joined together by DNA ligase to create a continuous strand of DNA.

In the context of DNA replication, the other options do not accurately describe Okazaki fragments. Long continuous strands of DNA refer to the leading strand, which is synthesized continuously. RNA primers are short segments of RNA that provide a starting point for DNA synthesis but are not the fragments themselves. Areas where DNA ligase acts are important in the context of connecting Okazaki fragments, but this description does not define the fragments themselves.