Okazaki fragments are short lengths of DNA that are produced by the discontinuous replication of the lagging strand during DNA replication. They were discovered by Reiji Okazaki and Tuneko Okazaki, Japanese molecular biologists, in the 1960s. Okazaki fragments are synthesized first on the lagging strand in eukaryotic cells, and they originate from the 35-nucleotide-long RNA-DNA primers. Once the Okazaki fragments are synthesized, the primers should be removed to permit the fragment to join into continuous lagging strands. The role of Okazaki fragments is to permit the DNA polymerase to synthesize the lagging strands in segments, as it is not correctly oriented for continuous synthesis.

Here are some key points about Okazaki fragments:

• Okazaki fragments are short sections of DNA formed at the time of discontinuous synthesis of the lagging strand during replication of DNA.
• They are synthesized first on the lagging strand in eukaryotic cells, and they originate from the 35-nucleotide-long RNA-DNA primers.
• The role of Okazaki fragments is to permit the DNA polymerase to synthesize the lagging strands in segments, as it is not correctly oriented for continuous synthesis.
• Okazaki fragments are synthesized discontinuously and later linked together by the enzyme DNA ligase to create a continuous strand.
• Any alteration including deletions, insertions, or duplications from the original strand can cause a mutation if it is not detected and fixed.

Therefore, Okazaki fragments are short lengths of DNA that are synthesized discontinuously on the lagging strand during DNA replication, and they play a crucial role in the synthesis of the lagging strand.