Describe the "blender experiments" of Hershey and Chase and what they revealed about DNA versus protein.

Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase showed that DNA is the genetic material by their blending experiment. Earlier it was believed that protein is the genetic material. As it is found in a larger amount in the cell.

Hershey and Chase infected the bacteria E coli with the T2 phage virus. In the bacteria, the viral DNA is replicated as the bacterial DNA. They prepare 2 culture media one contains radiolabeled phosphorus (32P) and another has radiolabeled (35 S) sulfur. Then he cultures the bacteria in separate culture medium and infected with many T2 phages.

After the infection, they isolated the infected cell and centrifuge the cells. When they tested separate supernatant of 2 culture mediums, they found the virus of radiolabeled phosphorus doesn't show any radioactivity. But the virus in the radiolabeled sulfur contains the radiolabeled.

The viruses have 2 biomolecules one is protein and the other is DNA/RNA. When they have centrifuged the cells which are the palette, the phosphorus is found there and it also degrades. But the sulfur which is present in the supernatant is present in the newly replicated viruses.

He also treated the virus with both the culture medium but newly infected cells show radiolabeled sulfur, not the phosphorus. Thus they concluded DNA is the genetic material.