What is the average rate of mammalian DNA replication?

The average rate of mammalian DNA replication is approximately 50 nucleotides per second. This rate reflects the efficiency of DNA polymerases in synthesizing new strands of DNA during replication, allowing the cells to efficiently duplicate their genetic material.

In eukaryotes, like mammals, the process involves multiple origins of replication being activated simultaneously to ensure that the entire genome can be replicated in a timely manner during the S phase of the cell cycle. The complexity of mammalian cells, including chromatin structure and the presence of various regulatory mechanisms, affects the replication rate.

Choosing the rate of 50 nucleotides per second aligns with observed values in experimental studies, making it the most accurate understanding of mammalian DNA replication under typical conditions. The other options, while they reflect possible replication rates, do not represent the standard average observed in mammalian systems.