What is meant by semiconservative replication of DNA?

• A. Each daughter DNA molecule contains one parental (old) strand and one newly synthesized strand.
• B. Only one of the two parental strands is copied, producing one double-stranded daughter molecule and one single-stranded parental molecule.
• C. Parental DNA is fragmented, and each daughter molecule contains interspersed segments of old and new DNA within each strand.
• D. Each daughter DNA molecule is composed entirely of newly synthesized strands, with the parental DNA remaining intact.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that DNA replication is the process by which a DNA molecule makes a copy of itself before cell division.
2. Recall that the term 'semiconservative replication' refers to the mechanism by which DNA is copied.
3. In semiconservative replication, each of the two strands of the original DNA molecule serves as a template for the synthesis of a new complementary strand.
4. As a result, each daughter DNA molecule consists of one original (parental) strand and one newly synthesized strand.
5. This contrasts with other hypothetical models such as conservative replication (where parental strands stay together) or dispersive replication (where old and new DNA are interspersed within strands).