Editing DNA Replication and Repair (section)

== <span style="color: #FFFFFF;">Understanding</span> ==
DNA processes are understood through '''Molecular Accuracy''' and '''Self-Correction'''.

'''1. The Replication Fork (The Factory)''':
Replication happens in a specific direction (5' to 3').
* '''Leading Strand''': The "Easy" side. Polymerase follows the helicase and builds a continuous long chain.
* '''Lagging Strand''': The "Difficult" side. Because it runs in the opposite direction, the cell must build it in small chunks (Okazaki fragments) and then glue them together.

'''2. High-Fidelity Copying''':
DNA Polymerase is incredibly accurate.
* It makes about 1 mistake for every 100,000 bases.
* However, it also has a "Proofreading" function that catches 99% of those mistakes immediately.
* The final error rate is about 1 in a billion.

'''3. The Constant Battle of Repair''':
Our DNA is under attack from:
* '''Internal Factors''': Metabolism byproducts (Reactive Oxygen Species).
* '''External Factors''': UV radiation from the sun, chemicals in food, and X-rays.
If repair fails, the cell can become cancerous or die (Apoptosis).

'''Semiconservative Replication''': Every new DNA molecule is half "Old" and half "New." This ensures that the original genetic information acts as a permanent template for every copy.
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