During DNA replication, what is produced on the lagging strand?

During DNA replication, the lagging strand is synthesized in short segments known as Okazaki fragments. This occurs because DNA polymerase can only synthesize DNA in the 5’ to 3’ direction, and the lagging strand is oriented in the opposite direction relative to the replication fork. As a result, the synthesis of the lagging strand must occur in discrete chunks rather than continuously.

These Okazaki fragments are later linked together by the enzyme DNA ligase, which creates a continuous strand. Each fragment starts with an RNA primer, which is synthesized by primase to provide a starting point for DNA polymerase to add nucleotides, but the defining feature of the lagging strand during replication is the presence of these short, discontinuous Okazaki fragments.

In contrast, the leading strand is synthesized continuously and does not involve fragments. The RNA primer is necessary but not a product of the lagging strand itself. Therefore, the correct answer identifies the critical structural component produced during the synthesis of the lagging strand during DNA replication.