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Multiple Choice
Which experiment demonstrated that DNA replication is semiconservative?
A
Griffith's experiment
B
Meselson-Stahl experiment
C
Avery-MacLeod-McCarty experiment
D
Hershey-Chase experiment
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand the concept of semiconservative replication: In semiconservative replication, each of the two strands of the DNA molecule serves as a template for the production of a complementary strand. This results in two DNA molecules, each with one old strand and one new strand.
Identify the key experiments related to DNA replication: The main experiments to consider are Griffith's experiment, Avery-MacLeod-McCarty experiment, Hershey-Chase experiment, and Meselson-Stahl experiment.
Review the Meselson-Stahl experiment: This experiment used isotopes of nitrogen (\(^{15}N\) and \(^{14}N\)) to label the DNA and density gradient centrifugation to separate DNA based on its density. This allowed them to observe the distribution of old and new DNA strands after replication.
Analyze the results of the Meselson-Stahl experiment: After one round of replication, the DNA consisted of hybrid molecules (one old and one new strand), supporting the semiconservative model. After two rounds, there were both hybrid and light DNA molecules, further confirming the semiconservative nature.
Conclude that the Meselson-Stahl experiment provided clear evidence for semiconservative replication, distinguishing it from other models like conservative and dispersive replication.