Question

Eukaryotic telomeres replicate differently than the rest of the chromosome. This is a consequence of which of the following?DNA polymerase that cannot replicate the leading strand template to its 5' endgaps left at the 5' end of the lagging strandgaps left at the 3' end of the lagging strandthe "no ends" of a circular chromosome

Answer 1

The correct answer is: gaps left at the 5' end of the lagging strand

Telomeres are repetitive regions at the very ends of chromosomes found in eukaryotic organisms. The “problem” with telomeres is that the DNA  replication cannot be fully finished in each round which result in a slow, gradual shortening of the chromosome.  

Gaps at the end of lagging strand are formed because lagging strand is synthesized via Okazaki fragments (small DNA fragments). So, when replication fork during replication reaches the end of the chromosome, a short stretch of DNA does not get covered by an Okazaki fragment and consequently remains uncopied in each round of replication, leaving a single-stranded overhang.

Telomerase is an enzyme that solves this problem by extending the telomeres of chromosomes.