This ensures genetic continuity between generations of cells
1) The enzyme DNA HELICASE breaks
the hydrogen bonds linking the base
pairs of DNA
2) As a result, double
helix unwinds into two
strands
3) Each exposed polynucleotide
strand then acts as a template to
which free complementary
nucleotides bind to a specific base
pair
4) Nucleotides are joined together in a
condensation reaction by DNA
POLYMERASE to form 'missing'
polynucleotide strand on each of the two
origional polynucleotide strands of DNA
5) Each of the new DNA molecules
contains one of the origional DNA
strands, that is, half of the origional DNA
has been saved and built into each of the
new DNA molecules.