Question

Why would it not make sense for the cell to wait to combine Okazaki fragments into one continuous lagging strand until the entire DNA molecule has been replicated

Answer 1

Answer:

Okazaki fragments are short DNA nucleotides sequences that are formed discontinuously and then combine into one continuous lagging strand with the help of DNA ligase, the endonuclease, and polymerase. It takes place before the entire DNA molecule has been replicated.

If the cell waited to combine Okazaki fragments until the entire DNA molecule had been replicated then the newly synthesized lagging strand that are still Okazaki fragments might already be packaged and inaccessible to the all essential enzymes that are ligase, polymerase, and endonuclease that help to generate a continuous leading strand.