Okazaki fragments are used to elongate the lagging strand. These fragments are used as primers for RNA polymerase to fill up the gaps in the newly formed complimentary DNA on the lagging strand. DNA ligase then seals up the gaps.
Okazaki fragments was discovered by Reiji Okazaki and collegues.During replication of DNA molecules lagging strand is synthesised on 5'->3'strandof DNA in short segments of 1000 to 2000 NT in...
Okazaki fragments are only used on the Lagging strand (the one going on 5' to 3' direction) never on the leading one. In fact all that the leading strand uses is the helicase to unwind DNA and DNA...
During DNA replication Okazaki fragments are joined together by DNA polymerase. Remember that Okazaki fragments start with an RNA primer so RNAse H is need to remove the primer follwed by DNA...
They are produced because of the need for the DNA polymerase to always synthesize in a 5' to 3' direction. The fragments are subsequently ligated together by DNA ligase to form a continuous strand.