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🔬 Biology  ·  Molecular Basis of Inheritance  ·  NEET

Which experiment provided direct evidence for semiconservative DNA replication?

Answer: Meselson-Stahl experiment.

  • A Griffith's transformation experiment
  • B Hershey-Chase experiment
  • C Meselson-Stahl experiment
  • D Avery-MacLeod-McCarty experiment

Correct answer: C. Meselson-Stahl experiment

Explanation: Meselson and Stahl used 15N and 14N labelled E. coli DNA and density gradient centrifugation to confirm semiconservative replication.

The Replication Forkhelicase (unwinds fork)leading strand (continuous, 5'→3')lagging strand: Okazaki fragments (discontinuous)

Helicase unwinds the double helix at the replication fork; one new strand (leading) is synthesised continuously toward the fork, while the other (lagging) must be made in short, separate Okazaki fragments because DNA polymerase only adds nucleotides 5'→3'.

Concept context

DNA structure, replication, transcription, translation, the genetic code, and gene regulation (lac operon). The single most important chapter for NEET molecular biology.

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