What type of fragments are involved in the synthesis of the lagging strand?

The synthesis of the lagging strand during DNA replication involves Okazaki fragments. This process occurs because the DNA double helix unwinds, and the two strands are oriented in opposite directions. The leading strand can be synthesized continuously in the direction of the unwinding DNA template. In contrast, the lagging strand must be synthesized in short segments, as DNA polymerase can only add nucleotides in the 5' to 3' direction.

These short segments are known as Okazaki fragments, which are formed when DNA polymerase synthesizes the lagging strand in the opposite direction of the unwinding fork. Once the enzyme reaches a primer or another fragment, the process stops, and a new Okazaki fragment begins. After these fragments are formed, they are later joined together by the enzyme DNA ligase to create a continuous DNA strand.

This distinction in fragment type highlights the complexity of DNA synthesis, especially in the context of the anti-parallel nature of the strands and the need for specialized mechanisms to synthesize one of them in a discontinuous manner.