Meselson and Stahl distinguished between parental and newly-synthesized DNA by using
A) heavy metal.
B) heavy and light forms of nitrogen.
C) green fluorescent protein from jellyfish.
D) nucleic acid dyes.
E) chromosome paints.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Meselson and Stahl used heavy and light forms of nitrogen to distinguish between parental and newly-synthesized DNA. They labeled the parental DNA with a heavy isotope (15N) and allowed the cells to divide in a medium containing a lighter isotope (14N). The newly-synthesized DNA contained only the lighter isotope, allowing the researchers to track its origin.

Meselson and Stahl Distinguished Between Parental and Newly-Synthesized DNA by Using