Which of the following occurs first in the DNA synthesis process?

In the process of DNA synthesis, the first step involves the separation of the DNA strands. This is a crucial initial step that occurs during the replication process, allowing the double helix structure of DNA to unwind and the two strands to be exposed for replication.

Once the strands are separated, each can serve as a template for the synthesis of new strands. This unzipping of the DNA is facilitated by the enzyme helicase, which breaks the hydrogen bonds between the bases of the two strands. The subsequent events, such as the binding of single-strand binding (SSB) proteins to stabilize the separated strands and the synthesis of new DNA strands by DNA polymerase, cannot occur until this initial separation has happened.

Joining of Okazaki fragments occurs later in the replication of the lagging strand, which also relies on the previous steps of strand separation and synthesis. Therefore, the separation of the DNA strands is the foundational step that must occur before any of the other processes can take place.