NEETZoologyMolecular Basis of Inheritance
What was the purpose of the experiment performed by Meselson and Stahl?
Options
- ATo prove that DNA replicates semiconservatively
- BTo show that 15N is not a radioactive isotope
- CTo determine the density of DNA
- DTo observe the effect of 15NH₄Cl on the growth of E. coli
Correct answer
A. To prove that DNA replicates semiconservatively
Step-by-step solution
It is now proved that DNA replicates semiconservatively . It was shown first in Escherichia coli and subsequently in higher organisms, such as plants and human cells. Matthew Meselson and Franklin Stahl performed the following experiment in 1958: (i) They grew E. coli in a medium containing 15NH4Cl (15N is the heavy isotope of nitrogen) as the only nitrogen source for many generations. The result was that 15N was incorporated into newly synthesized DNA (as well as other nitrogen containing compounds). This heavy DN