| conservative | To preserve) designed to preserve health, restore function and repair structures by nonradical methods, as conservative surgery. Origin: L. Conservare (18 Nov 1997) |
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| conservative replication | <molecular biology> Replication of DNA in such a way that the original parent strands of the DNA molecule end up back with each other. The entire preexisting double-stranded DNA molecule is conserved during each round of replication. Compare: semiconservative replication. (09 Oct 1997) |
| conservative substitution | In a gene product, a substitution of one amino acid with another with generally similar properties (size, hydrophobicity, etc), such that the overall functioning is likely not to be seriously affected. (18 Nov 1997) |
| conservative treatment | A course of therapeutic action designed to avoid harm, with less possibility of benefit than more risky actions. (05 Mar 2000) |