What enzyme is responsible for adding nucleotides during the elongation phase of DNA replication?

In the process of DNA replication, the enzyme that plays a crucial role during the elongation phase is polymerase. Specifically, DNA polymerase is responsible for adding nucleotides to the growing DNA strand. This enzyme works by synthesizing new DNA strands complementary to the template strands, which are unwound and separated during the initial stages of replication.

During elongation, DNA polymerase continuously adds nucleotides in a 5' to 3' direction, ensuring that the new strand is accurately formed based on the template. This addition takes place following the initiation phase, where the primase lays down a short RNA primer to provide a starting point for DNA polymerase.

This function of polymerase is vital for the accurate duplication of the genetic material, ensuring that cells can divide and pass on correct genetic information during cell division. Other enzymes mentioned, such as ligase, primase, and helicase, play different roles: helicase unwinds the DNA double helix, primase synthesizes the RNA primer, and ligase joins Okazaki fragments on the lagging strand after they have been synthesized.