Hershey and Chase set out to determine what molecule served as the unit of inheritance. They completed a series of experiments in which E. coli was infected by a T2 virus. Which molecular component of the T2 virus actually ended up inside the cell?

Question

Penny

Biology

26 July, 14:35

Hershey and Chase set out to determine what molecule served as the unit of inheritance. They completed a series of experiments in which E. coli was infected by a T2 virus. Which molecular component of the T2 virus actually ended up inside the cell?

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Answers (1)

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Rudy Shaw · Answer 1

The correct answer is DNA

Explanation:

As phosphorus is found in DNA in large amounts and sulfur is found in protein in large amounts so to trace them Harshey and Chase labeled T 2 virus (bacteriophage) protein with radioactive sulfur and its DNA with radioactive phosphorus.

They infect the E. coli with these radioactive labeled bacteriophage. After infection, they centrifuged the bacterial culture and found that the pellet having bacterial cells have radioactive phosphorus and the radioactive sulfur was found in the supernatant.

So by this experiment, they concluded its DNA but not protein that transfers from one generation to the next generation so DNA is the genetic material.