The Collaborative International Dictionary
DNA polymerase \DNA polymerase\ (d[=e]`[e^]n*[=a]" p[o^]*l[i^]m"[~e]r*[=a]s) n. (Biochemistry, Genetics) an enzyme that catalyzes the formation of DNA from deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates. Cells contain several types of DNA polymerase, some of which are required for replication of DNA, and are indispensable for multipliation and division of cells.
Wikipedia
In molecular biology, DNA polymerases are enzymes that synthesize DNA molecules from deoxyribonucleotides, the building blocks of DNA. These enzymes are essential to DNA replication and usually work in pairs to create two identical DNA strands from a single original DNA molecule. During this process, DNA polymerase “reads” the existing DNA strands to create two new strands that match the existing ones.
These enzymes catalyze the following chemical reaction
deoxynucleoside triphosphate + DNA diphosphate + DNACatalyses DNA-template-directed extension of the 3'- end of a DNA strand by one nucleotide at a time.
Every time a cell divides, DNA polymerases are required to help duplicate the cell’s DNA, so that a copy of the original DNA molecule can be passed to each daughter cell. In this way, genetic information is passed down from generation to generation.
Before replication can take place, an enzyme called helicase unwinds the DNA molecule from its tightly woven form. This opens up or “unzips” the double-stranded DNA to give two single strands of DNA that can be used as templates for replication.
DNA polymerase may refer to:
- DNA polymerase, enzymes that create DNA molecules by assembling nucleotides
- DNA polymerase I, an enzyme that participates in the process of DNA replication
- DNA polymerase II, a prokaryotic DNA-Dependent DNA polymerase encoded by the PolB gene
- DNA polymerase III holoenzyme, the primary enzyme complex involved in prokaryotic DNA replication
- DNA polymerase IV, a prokaryotic polymerase that is involved in mutagenesis
- DNA polymerase V, a polymerase enzyme involved in DNA repair mechanisms in the bacteria Escherichia coli
- DNA polymerase alpha, an enzyme complex found in eukaryotes that is involved in initiation of DNA replication
- DNA polymerase alpha catalytic subunit, an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the POLA1 gene
- DNA polymerase alpha subunit 2, an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the POLA2 gene
- DNA polymerase delta, an enzyme complex found in eukaryotes that is involved in DNA replication and repair
- POLD4, DNA polymerase delta subunit 4
- DNA polymerase epsilon, a member of the DNA polymerase family of enzymes
- Hepatitis B virus DNA polymerase, a hepatitis B viral protein
Usage examples of "dna polymerase".
Mutations might occur during replication if the enzyme DNA polymerase makes a mistake.
But he had prepared great batches of a falcon-compatible DNA polymerase that bonded well to both species.