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  • DNA Polymerase: The Enzyme That Joins Nucleotides
    The enzyme that creates a bond between adjacent unjoined nucleotides is DNA polymerase.

    Here's how it works:

    * DNA polymerase is a crucial enzyme involved in DNA replication. It reads the existing DNA strand as a template and adds complementary nucleotides to form a new strand.

    * During this process, DNA polymerase creates a phosphodiester bond between the 3' hydroxyl group of the last nucleotide in the growing chain and the 5' phosphate group of the incoming nucleotide.

    * This bond forms the backbone of the new DNA strand, linking the nucleotides together in a specific sequence.

    It's important to note:

    * DNA polymerase can only add nucleotides to an existing 3' hydroxyl group, which is why a primer (a short stretch of RNA or DNA) is required to initiate DNA synthesis.

    * There are different types of DNA polymerases, each with specific functions in DNA replication, repair, and recombination.

    Let me know if you have any more questions!

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