Question

What is 'semi-conservative' DNA replication? How was it experimentally proved and by whom?

Answer 1

In semiconservative replication, each daughter DNA molecule contains one parental strand and one newly synthesised strand. Meselson and Stahl grew E. coli in ¹⁵N, transferred it to ¹⁴N medium, and separated DNA by CsCl density-gradient centrifugation. The intermediate-density DNA after one generation and hybrid plus light DNA after the next supported semiconservative replication.