Transposition is the process by which a specific genetic sequence, known as a transposon, is moved from one location of the genome to another. Simple, or conservative transposition, is a non-replicative mode of transposition. That is, in conservative transposition the transposon is completely removed from the genome and reintegrated into a new, non-homologous locus, the same genetic sequence is conserved throughout the entire process. The site in which the transposon is reintegrated into the genome is called the target site. A target site can be in the same chromosome as the transposon or within a different chromosome. Conservative transposition uses the "cut-and-paste" mechanism driven by the catalytic activity of the enzyme transposase. Transposase acts like DNA scissors; it is an enzyme that cuts through double-stranded DNA to remove the transposon, then transfers and pastes it into a target site.
A simple, or conservative, transposon refers to the specific genetic sequence that is moved via conservative transposition. These specific genetic sequences range in size, they can be hundreds to thousands of nucleotide base-pairs long. A transposon contains genetic sequences that encode for proteins that mediate its own movement, but can also carry genes for additional proteins. Transposase is encoded within the transposon DNA and used to facilitate its own movement, making this process self-sufficient within organisms.  All simple transposons contain a transposase encoding region flanked by terminal inverted repeats, but the additional genes within the transposon DNA can vary. Viruses, for example, encode the essential viral transposase needed for conservative transposition as well as protective coat proteins that allow them to survive outside of cells, thus promoting the spread of mobile genetic elements.