Читать книгу Horse Genetics - Ernest Bailey - Страница 45

The two-stranded structure of DNA serves two functions. Firstly, the second strand is a mirror image of the first strand, and any damage to one strand can be repaired precisely using the alternate strand as a template. DNA repair enzymes constantly monitor DNA sequences and repair damage. Second, the two complementary DNA strands provide a remarkably simple system for the replication of the DNA molecule. The two stands separate from one another and enzymes, called DNA polymerases, create complementary strands using the original strands as templates. At the end of the process, there are two chemically identical DNA molecules.