which chemical process causes RNA or DNA replication?

relativityfan

hi,

DNA and RNA seem to be very peculiar molecular structures that are able to replicate themselves, and they are unique regarding this point, right?. But which chemical "magical" phenomena is responsible for this ability to reproduce?

Borek

No magic, more like clever chemistry. No one phenomena, but combination of many.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcription_(genetics)

granpa

the pairing of the bases by hydrogen bonds is probably the main thing

chemisttree

But the pairing doesn't have much to do with replication, does it?

mishrashubham

Actually for replication, the DNA molecule needs to be split apart. This is done by helicases which break the hydrogen bonds between A-T and G-C pairs. However since A-T pairs have only 2 hydrogen bonds compared with 3 bonds in G-C pairs, they are easier to break. Therefore the splits are usually done in places rich in A-T pairs.

alxm

To quote the original Crick-Watson double-helix paper: "It has not escaped us that the specific pairing we have postulated immediately suggests a possible copying mechanism for the genetic material."

tkpopwers

Interphase

tkpopwers

interphase is when the replication of dna occurs in the cells

jackmell

Here's the chain of events I found in Wikipedia:

"Within eukaryotes, DNA replication is controlled within the context of the cell cycle. As the cell grows and divides, it progresses through stages in the cell cycle; DNA replication occurs during the S phase (Synthesis phase). The progress of the eukaryotic cell through the cycle is controlled by cell cycle checkpoints. Progression through checkpoints is controlled through complex interactions between various proteins, including cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases.[16]"

"Cyclins are so named because their concentration varies in a cyclical fashion during the cell cycle; they are produced or degraded as needed in order to drive the cell through the different stages of the cell cycle."

Now note the concentration of Cyclin-E in the diagram below: It reaches a maximum right about the start of S-phase so perhaps if you wanted to delve further, you could investigate what mechanism controls the cyclic concentration of cyclin molecules in the cells?

Attached Thumbnails