The mode by which DNA is replicated, resulting in two molecules each containing one old and one new strand, is called

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Multiple Choice

The mode by which DNA is replicated, resulting in two molecules each containing one old and one new strand, is called

Explanation:
DNA is replicated semiconservatively: each new double helix contains one strand from the original DNA and one newly synthesized strand. This arrangement preserves half of the original molecule in each daughter, a result supported by experiments like Meselson and Stahl using isotope labeling. If replication were conservative, you’d get two entirely old strands paired with two entirely new strands, which isn’t what’s observed. If it were dispersive, both daughter molecules would have mixtures of old and new DNA within each strand rather than a clean split into one old and one new strand per molecule. The broad term replication doesn’t specify how the strands are inherited, but semiconservative replication precisely describes the pattern seen in cells. In the actual process, the two parental strands separate, each serves as a template for a new strand, DNA polymerases synthesize in the 5' to 3' direction, and the result is two daughter molecules, each with one old and one new strand.

DNA is replicated semiconservatively: each new double helix contains one strand from the original DNA and one newly synthesized strand. This arrangement preserves half of the original molecule in each daughter, a result supported by experiments like Meselson and Stahl using isotope labeling. If replication were conservative, you’d get two entirely old strands paired with two entirely new strands, which isn’t what’s observed. If it were dispersive, both daughter molecules would have mixtures of old and new DNA within each strand rather than a clean split into one old and one new strand per molecule. The broad term replication doesn’t specify how the strands are inherited, but semiconservative replication precisely describes the pattern seen in cells. In the actual process, the two parental strands separate, each serves as a template for a new strand, DNA polymerases synthesize in the 5' to 3' direction, and the result is two daughter molecules, each with one old and one new strand.

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