How do dna polymerases work?

DNA polymerase assembles new DNA strands by adding nucleotides in a 5′-to-3′ direction. During DNA replication, the leading strand is synthesized continuously, while the lagging strand is synthesized discontinuously in short fragments called Okazaki fragments. To initiate synthesis on the lagging strand, RNA primer molecules are first added, which are later replaced with DNA nucleotides. DNA polymerase catalyzes the formation of phosphodiester bonds between the added nucleotides, which are complementary to the template DNA strand. This process ensures accurate replication of the genetic information encoded in the DNA molecule.