If replication were conservative instead of semi-conservative, the famous Meselson and Stahl experiment would have shown which of the following results after the first round of replication?
A) All of the double helices would have been heavy chains
B) All of the double helices would have been light chains
C) Half of the double helices would have been all heavy chains and the other half would have been all light chains
D) All of the double helices would have been a combination of a heavy strand and a light strand

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In conservative replication, the original DNA molecule is conserved, and a completely new molecule is synthesized. Therefore, after the first round of replication, there would be one molecule with all heavy chains (the original DNA) and one with all light chains (the newly synthesized DNA), which matches choice C.

If Replication Were Conservative Instead of Semi-Conservative, the Famous Meselson