There are two types of cell division: nuclear division and cytokinesis.
In semi-conservative replication, DNA helicase unzips the double helix, allowing free nucleotides to bind to unpaired bases, and DNA polymerase catalyses the formation of phosphodiester bonds between adjacent nucleotides.
DNA strands are anti-parallel and can only be read in one direction.
Nucleic acids can only be made in the 5' to 3' direction because DNA polymerase only attaches nucleotides to the OH group on the 3'.
Polymerase is specific and complementary, binding to the 5' end of a strand.
The conservative method suggests that the original parental DNA would remain intact and a new molecule would be made from scratch.
Dispersive method is not found to be biologically significant.
