Question

All dna polymerases synthesize new dna by adding nucleotides to the _____ of the growing dna chain.

Answer 1

3’ OH group

DNA polymerase is responsible for synthesis of DNA and it is one of the key enzymes in DNA replication. They function by adding nucleotide one by one to the growing DNA by incorporating only those that are complementary to the template. However, DNA polymerase synthesizes DNA in the 5’ to 3’ direction by adding dNTP to the 3’ OH group of the growing chain.

Answer 2

Here are some key features of DNA polymerases:They can only add nucleotides to the 3 end of a DNA strandThey can't start making a DNA chain from scratch but require a pre-existing chain or short stretch of nucleotides called a primerThey check their work, removing the vast majority of "wrong" nucleotides that are accidentally added to the chain