What is rna primer?

An RNA primer is a short segment of RNA that is synthesized by the enzyme primase during DNA replication. The RNA primer serves as a starting point for DNA synthesis by DNA polymerase, allowing DNA synthesis to begin at the 3' end of the primer and proceed in the 5' to 3' direction.

The primer is typically about 10 to 12 nucleotides long and is complementary to a specific region of the template DNA strand. Once the primer has been synthesized, DNA polymerase can begin adding nucleotides to the primer, extending the new DNA strand.

After the DNA polymerase has synthesized the new DNA strand, the RNA primer is removed by another enzyme called RNAase H and replaced with DNA nucleotides by DNA polymerase. This process ensures that the newly synthesized DNA strand is continuous and without gaps.

Overall, RNA primers are essential for DNA replication to occur efficiently and accurately. Without RNA primers, DNA polymerase would not have a starting point to initiate DNA synthesis.