[Campbell Biology P.372] Which of the following statements accurately describes a difference... | Practice Question

Which of the following statements accurately describes a difference in DNA replication between E. coli and eukaryotes, as depicted in Figure 16.13?

  • A: E. coli has a single origin of replication on its circular chromosome, while eukaryotes have multiple origins on their linear chromosomes.
  • B: E. coli replication proceeds unidirectionally, whereas eukaryotic replication is bidirectional.
  • C: Replication bubbles are unique to eukaryotic DNA replication, not found in E. coli.
  • D: Eukaryotic replication involves only one replication fork per bubble, unlike E. coli which has two.

Explanation

Figure 16.13 and its accompanying text explicitly state that the circular chromosome of E. coli has only one origin of replication, while linear eukaryotic chromosomes form replication bubbles at many sites. Both types of replication proceed bidirectionally from each origin, forming two replication forks per bubble.