Which statement correctly describes the relationship between origins of replication and replication forks?

• A. The Origin Is Where Replication Ends; Forks Move Away in Both Directions from It
• B. The Origin Is at the Center of the Chromosome Only in Prokaryotes
• C. The Origin Is Where Replication Begins; Replication Forks Move Away in Both Directions from It
• D. The Origin Is Where Transcription Begins

Answer: (C)

Replication begins at a defined origin of replication, and two replication forks move away in opposite directions from that origin. The origin is where the DNA first unwinds, thanks to helicase, creating forks that propagate bidirectionally to copy the genome. In bacteria, this often means a single origin on a circular chromosome, while eukaryotic chromosomes have multiple origins to ensure complete replication. The other statements mix up where replication starts, or confuse replication with transcription, so they don’t describe the true relationship.