Semiconservative replication describes the method by which DNA is replicated in all known cells. This method of replication was one of three proposed models of DNA replication:
- Conservative replication would leave the original, template DNA strands intact and would produce a copy composed of entirely new DNA base pairs.
- Dispersive replication would produce two copies of the DNA, both containing a mixture of old and new DNA base pairs.
- Semiconservative replication would produce two copies that each contained one of the original strands, and one entirely new copy.