Question

Describe briefly the origin of replication.

Answer 1

Origin of replication ranges from twenty-five to fifty copies per cell. It also determines the vector copy number.The synthesis of DNA takes place in three stages- initiation, elongation, and termination. The process of initiation takes place at a particular site and is known as the origin of replication.

Complete answer:
The origin of replication is the ability to replicate with another plasmid in the same bacterial cell. These plasmids cannot co-exist in the same bacterial cell and thus they form a second plasmid of the same compatibility group. Once the plasmids are segregated in different cells, correct replication is formed. The replication takes place inside the host cell. The stability of the plasmid depends on the number of copies made during the cell division of the same cell. Although, there is a possibility that a high level of copying plasmid may lead to a decrease in the growth rate of the cell.
This process helps in sequencing a piece of foreign DNA and linking from where the replication starts. This also helps in controlling the number of DNA being copied and linked. A specialized protein initiator protein is required in the DNA site in the replication process. These replication sites are found in few prokaryotic chromosomes and the eukaryotic cells to contain a significantly greater number of origins.

Note:
The Origin of replication keeps control of the copy of the numbers of linked DNA sequences.Smaller DNA has a single origin and larger DNA has many origins. On the stage of elongation, the DNA strands grow and nucleotides are added to it. Termination is the last step where the DNA strand has been replicated.