Replication is called "semi-conservative" because half of the orginal strand is? idk i been workin on the question 4 an hr!!
I can help you understand why replication is called "semi-conservative." In DNA replication, a new DNA molecule is synthesized using an existing template strand. The process involves the separation of the two strands of the DNA double helix, and each separated strand serves as a template for the synthesis of a new complementary strand.
During replication, each original DNA strand acts as a template for the synthesis of a new complementary strand. The resulting DNA molecule contains one original (conserved) strand and one newly synthesized (replicated) strand. This means that half of the DNA molecule is conserved, or remains unchanged, and the other half is newly synthesized.
This process was termed "semi-conservative" by Watson and Crick based on their experimental evidence. They conducted an experiment using radioactive isotopes of nitrogen (N-14 and N-15) and grew bacteria in N-15 medium. Then the bacteria were transferred to a medium containing N-14. By analyzing the DNA after each round of replication, they found that the resulting DNA molecule had a hybrid density between N-15 and N-14, indicating the presence of both original and newly synthesized strands.
So, the term "semi-conservative" describes replication because only half of the original DNA strand is conserved, while the other half is newly synthesized during the process.