The lagging strand is one of the two strands of DNA that is synthesized discontinuously during DNA replication. While the leading strand is synthesized continuously in the direction of the replication fork, the lagging strand is made in short segments called Okazaki fragments, which are later joined together. This occurs because DNA polymerases can only add nucleotides in a 5' to 3' direction, necessitating the fragmented synthesis of the lagging strand as the fork opens.
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