Daughter DNA molecules after replication contain...

Daughter DNA molecules after replication contain...

• A. Two parental strands.
• B. Two new strands.
• C. One parental strand and one new strand.
• D. One new strand with RNA primer.

Answer: (C)

DNA replication uses a semiconservative mechanism: each daughter DNA molecule inherits one old (parental) strand and one newly synthesized strand. The old strand acts as a template for building a complementary new strand, so after replication there are two DNA molecules, each with one parental strand and one new strand. RNA primers are only briefly used to start synthesis and are removed and replaced with DNA, so the mature daughter molecules do not contain RNA primers. This is why the correct description is one parental strand paired with one new strand.

DNA replication uses a semiconservative mechanism: each daughter DNA molecule inherits one old (parental) strand and one newly synthesized strand. The old strand acts as a template for building a complementary new strand, so after replication there are two DNA molecules, each with one parental strand and one new strand. RNA primers are only briefly used to start synthesis and are removed and replaced with DNA, so the mature daughter molecules do not contain RNA primers. This is why the correct description is one parental strand paired with one new strand.