Biology - Molecular Basis of Inheritance Question with Solution | TestHub

DNA replication occurs in the $5^{\prime }\to 3^{\prime }$ direction.

The leading strand is synthesized continuously in the direction of the advancing replication fork.

The lagging strand is synthesized discontinuously in short segments known as Okazaki fragments. Because DNA polymerase can only add nucleotides in the $5^{\prime }\to 3^{\prime }$ direction, the synthesis of these fragments occurs in the direction away from the replication fork.

Therefore, Okazaki fragments are used to elongate the lagging strand away from the replication fork.

Answer: the lagging strand away from the replication fork.