And it's known as the leading strand because it is synthesized continuously without much problem. However, how exactly does the DNA polymerase actually synthesize the other parent strand that runs from the five to the three directions? So let's take a look at the following diagram and let's determine how this actually takes place. So let's begin with our parent strand that runs from the three to the five direction. So we can imagine that DNA helicase attaches to the origin of replication. It moves a certain distance and it unwinds our double stranded DNA.