What is the Difference Between Conservative Semiconservative and Dispersive Replication?

The main differences between conservative, semiconservative, and dispersive replication are the ways in which the parental DNA strands are distributed in the newly synthesized DNA molecules.

1. Conservative replication: In this model, one DNA molecule is produced that consists of both original DNA strands, while a second DNA molecule contains entirely new DNA strands. This mode of replication is not biologically significant.
2. Semi-conservative replication: This is the widely accepted theory of DNA replication, proposed by Watson and Crick and confirmed by the Meselson-Stahl experiment. In this model, each DNA strand in the original molecule serves as a template for the synthesis of a new, complementary strand. The result is two DNA molecules, each containing one original strand and one new strand.
3. Dispersive replication: This model is less common and produces two DNA molecules in which each strand contains alternating segments of old and new DNA. This mode of replication is not accurate and is not found in nature.

In summary, semi-conservative replication is the actual process by which DNA replicates in living organisms, as confirmed by experimental evidence. Conservative and dispersive replication are theoretical models that do not accurately represent how DNA replicates in nature.

Comparative Table: Conservative Semiconservative vs Dispersive Replication

The main difference between conservative, semiconservative, and dispersive replication lies in the type of DNA helices they produce. Here is a table summarizing the key features of each replication model:

In summary, conservative replication produces one DNA helix containing entirely old DNA and another helix containing entirely new DNA. Semiconservative replication, the widely accepted model, produces two helices, each containing one old strand and one new strand. Dispersive replication produces two helices in which each strand contains alternating segments of old and new DNA.