The leading strand is the strand of DNA that's synthesized continuously in the 5' to 3' direction by DNA polymerase. While there aren't many synonyms for leading strand, some related terms may be used to describe it. For instance, scientists may refer to the template strand as the "non-coding" or "lagging" strand, since it's replicated in a series of short fragments in the opposite direction of the leading strand. The leading strand may also be referred to as the "continuous" or "sense" strand, as its replication occurs in an uninterrupted manner in the direction of the eventual protein synthesis.