What is the process called that copies the entire DNA molecule from the origin to produce two identical DNA molecules?

• A. DNA Replication
• B. Transcription
• C. Translation
• D. DNA Repair

Answer: (A)

DNA replication is the process that copies the entire DNA molecule starting at origins of replication to produce two identical DNA molecules. The double helix unwinds and each parental strand serves as a template for new complementary strands, with DNA polymerase adding nucleotides in the 5’ to 3’ direction. One strand is synthesized continuously (leading strand) while the other is made in short segments (Okazaki fragments on the lagging strand) that are later joined by ligase. The result is two identical double-stranded molecules, each containing one old strand and one new strand—a semiconservative outcome that preserves the genetic information. Transcription copies DNA into RNA, translation uses that RNA to build proteins, and DNA repair fixes damage, but only replication duplicates the entire molecule.