Chapter 7, Problem 1SA

Explain what semiconservative means with respect to DNA replication.

Summary Introduction

To review:

The meaning of semiconservative replication in the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid).

Introduction:

Watson and Crick were responsible for proposing that the DNA copy itself. It opens up like a zipper and segregates the two strands of the DNA and follows the complementary base pairing rule. This rule states that adenine binds with the thymine, while cytosine pairs up with the guanine.

Explanation of Solution

Watson Crick proposed that the two new double strands of the DNA undergo the replication process wherein one of the strands works like a parent or a template strand, whereas other strand acts as a daughter DNA. This mode of replication is known as the semi-conservative mode of replication. Semi-conservative means that half of the original information is stored, whereas the other half of the information is newly synthesized.

DNA replication is the process where the strands of the DNA opens up like a zipper and with the help of the polymerase enzyme, the entire DNA is replicated. One of the strands works like a parent and the polymerase reads the template strand and inserts the base pair on the growing strand.

Conclusion

Therefore, it can be concluded that semi-conservative mode of replication means that half of the information is original and half is new.