The process whereby DNA makes a copy of itself before cell division.

• A. Transcription
• B. Replication
• C. Translation
• D. Duplication

Answer: (B)

Copying DNA before cell division is done through replication. The cell must produce an exact copy so each daughter inherits the full genome. During replication, the two DNA strands separate and each serves as a template for a new, complementary strand, yielding two DNA molecules that are each half parent and half new (semi-conservative). Enzymes like helicase unwind the double helix, primase lays down RNA primers, DNA polymerase adds nucleotides matching A with T and G with C in the 5' to 3' direction, and ligase seals any gaps on the lagging strand after synthesis in short segments (Okazaki fragments). The other processes aren’t about making a full genome copy: transcription makes RNA from DNA, and translation uses that RNA to build proteins. Duplication is not the standard term used for copying DNA in the context of cell division; replication is the precise term.