Editing Semiconservative replication (section)

== Nature of DNA replication ==
[[Image:DNAreplicationModes.png|thumb|300px|left|Three postulated methods of DNA synthesis]]
Semiconservative replication derives its name from the fact that this mechanism of transcription was one of three models originally proposed<ref name="Griffiths_1999" /><ref name="Meselson_1958" />for [[DNA replication]]:

* Semiconservative replication would produce two copies that each contained one of the original strands of DNA and one new strand.<ref name="Griffiths_1999" />Semiconservative replication is beneficial to DNA repair. During replication, the new strand of DNA adjusts to the modifications made on the template strand.<ref name="Norris_2019">{{cite journal | vauthors = Norris V | title = Does the Semiconservative Nature of DNA Replication Facilitate Coherent Phenotypic Diversity? | journal = Journal of Bacteriology | volume = 201 | issue = 12 | date = June 2019 | pmid = 30936370 | pmc = 6531617 | doi = 10.1128/jb.00119-19 }}</ref>
* Conservative replication would leave the two original template DNA strands together in a [[double helix]] and would produce a copy composed of two new strands containing all of the new DNA base pairs.<ref name="Griffiths_1999" />
* Dispersive replication would produce two copies of the DNA, both containing distinct regions of DNA composed of either both original strands or both new strands.<ref name="Griffiths_1999" /> The strands of DNA were originally thought to be broken at every tenth base pair to add the new DNA template. Eventually, all new DNA would make up the double helix after many generations of replication.<ref name = "Watson_2014" />