Question

select the correct answer
an enzyme in a cell became dysfunctional because of an alteration. as a result, the dna strands would not separate to begin the replication process. which enzyme has been affected?
a. dna ligase
b. dna polymerase
c. helicase
d. rna primase
e. topoisomerase

Explanation:

DNA replication starts with separating the double-stranded DNA. Helicase is the enzyme responsible for unwinding and separating the DNA strands. DNA ligase joins Okazaki fragments, DNA polymerase adds nucleotides, RNA primase makes RNA primers, and topoisomerase relieves DNA supercoiling. Since the DNA strands cannot separate, the affected enzyme is helicase.

Answer:

C. helicase