In Meselson and Stahl's experiment, cells were grown in media containing ¹⁵N in place of ¹⁴N, and then the cells' DNA was separated by equilibrium centrifugation. This experiment demonstrated that DNA

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Meselson and Stahl's experiment demonstrated that DNA replication is semiconservative, meaning that each newly synthesized DNA molecule consists of one original (parental) strand and one newly synthesized (daughter) strand. This was shown by separating DNA in a density gradient after growing cells in a medium containing a heavy isotope of nitrogen, and then switching to a medium with a lighter isotope. The resulting DNA bands showed that the new DNA molecules were a mix of heavy and light isotopes, supporting the semiconservative model of replication. The experiment did not address the other options listed.

In Meselson and Stahl's Experiment, Cells Were Grown in Media