ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

DNA helicase

Okay, let's imagine that DNA is like a huge ladder, and it needs to be split in half so that important information can be read by other parts of the cell.

But the problem is, the ladder is too big and too tangled to just split apart easily. That's where DNA helicase comes in - it's like a special tool that helps to untangle the ladder.

Helicase is a type of protein that sticks to the DNA ladder and starts spinning really quickly. This spinning action causes the ladder to unwind, just like how you unwind a ball of yarn.

As the ladder unwinds, other proteins can come in and chop it into smaller pieces, so that the important information can be read and used by the rest of the cell.

In short, DNA helicase is a special tool that helps to untangle and unwind the DNA ladder, so that important information can be accessed and used by the cell.