Semiconservative DNA Replication — NEET Biology
✅ Asked in NEET 2018It is now proven that DNA replicates semiconservatively. It was shown first in Escherichia coli and subsequently in higher organisms, such as plants
Semiconservative replication means each new DNA molecule contains one original (parental) strand and one newly synthesized strand. NTA tests whether students know this was first demonstrated in E. coli by Meselson and Stahl using nitrogen isotopes. The common mistake is confusing semiconservative replication with conservative (both strands together) or dispersive replication. Students often forget that NEET questions ask specifically which organism proved this mechanism first — always E. coli, not plants or humans. Remember: Meselson-Stahl experiment with heavy nitrogen (N-15) and light nitrogen (N-14) in bacteria remains the gold standard proof for NEET.
Semi-conservative DNA replication was first shown in a: (NEET 2018)
Through deep analysis of NEET and NTA, 88 of 90 questions from the NEET 2026 paper were matched straight from the MedicNEET Biology question bank.
88/90MedicNEET's Biology question bank is built from the same NCERT lines NTA picks repeatedly. Not random MCQs — questions crafted exactly like NTA crafts them.