Question

What is the breaking of the hydrogen bonds that hold the two strands of DNA together, creating single strands?

Answer 1

Breaking of hydrogen bonds take place during DNA replication but it may also take place in high temperature ( denaturation ).

Explanation:

During DNA replication, the enzyme DNA helicase unwinds the two strands of DNA and causes the hydrogen bonds between the two DNA strands to break, separating the DNA double helix into two individual strands so they can be copied.

This video provides a brief summary of this process using the DNA Workshop activity from PBS.

Denaturation of DNA takes place in PCR machine where repeated replications of DNA molecules are done.