Question

an enzyme in a cell became dysfunctional because of an alteration. as a result, the dna strands would not separate to begin the replication process. which enzyme has been affected? a. dna ligase b. dna polymerase c. helicase d. rna primase e. topoisomerase

Explanation:

To determine the affected enzyme, we analyze each option:

• Option A (DNA ligase): Joins DNA fragments, not involved in strand separation.
• Option B (DNA polymerase): Synthesizes new DNA strands, not for separation.
• Option C (helicase): Unwinds and separates DNA double helix during replication. If it's dysfunctional, DNA strands can't separate.
• Option D (RNA primase): Synthesizes RNA primers, not for strand separation.
• Option E (topoisomerase): Relieves supercoiling, not the main enzyme for strand separation.

Answer:

C. helicase