In bacterial DNA replication, what is the primary function of DNA polymerase III?

• A. It synthesizes new DNA strands by adding deoxyribonucleotides to the $\prime$ end of a growing strand during replication.
• B. It unwinds the parental DNA double helix ahead of the replication fork.
• C. It seals nicks between adjacent Okazaki fragments by forming phosphodiester bonds.
• D. It removes RNA primers and replaces them with DNA nucleotides.

Answer: (A)