The correct answer is c) helicase.
Helicase is the enzyme that unwinds and separates the two strands of the DNA double helix during the process of DNA replication. It works by breaking the hydrogen bonds between the nucleotide bases, effectively “unzipping” the DNA so that each strand can be copied. This is a crucial step in DNA replication, as it allows the replication machinery to access the genetic information stored in the DNA.
While topoisomerase helps relieve the tension created ahead of the replication fork, and DNA polymerase is responsible for synthesizing new DNA strands, helicase is specifically tasked with the unzipping function that initiates replication. Ligase later comes into play to seal any gaps between the newly synthesized DNA fragments.