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The isotope used by Meselson and Stahl i...

The isotope used by Meselson and Stahl in their experiment was

A

`O^(18)`

B

`C^(14)`

C

`H^(3)`

D

`N^(15)`

Text Solution

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The correct Answer is:
### Step-by-Step Solution 1. **Understanding the Context**: The question pertains to the experiment conducted by Meselson and Stahl in 1958, which demonstrated the semi-conservative nature of DNA replication. 2. **Identifying the Isotopes Used**: In their experiment, Meselson and Stahl used two isotopes of nitrogen: Nitrogen-14 (N14) and Nitrogen-15 (N15). 3. **Role of Isotopes**: N14 is a common, non-radioactive isotope of nitrogen, while N15 is a heavier, stable isotope that can be used to trace the DNA strands during replication. 4. **Experimental Design**: They grew bacteria in a medium containing N15, allowing the bacteria to incorporate this heavier isotope into their DNA. After several generations, they then switched the bacteria to a medium containing only N14. 5. **Results of the Experiment**: After the DNA replication process, the resulting DNA strands were analyzed. The DNA consisted of one strand with N15 (the parental strand) and one strand with N14 (the newly synthesized strand), confirming the semi-conservative model of DNA replication. 6. **Conclusion**: Thus, the isotope used by Meselson and Stahl in their experiment was N15. ### Final Answer The isotope used by Meselson and Stahl in their experiment was **N15**. ---
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