What did Griffith's experiment demonstrate?

What did Griffith's experiment demonstrate?

• A. A hereditary material could be transferred from dead S strain to live R strain, hinting DNA as genetic material
• B. DNA replicates to create identical copies
• C. Proteins Are The Genetic Material
• D. RNA Is The Transforming Principle

Answer: (A)

Griffith’s work showcases transformation: a substance from dead virulent bacteria can pass genetic information to living nonvirulent bacteria and change their phenotype. In his experiment, the smooth, virulent strain caused disease, while the rough, nonvirulent strain did not. When heat-killed smooth bacteria were mixed with live rough bacteria, some of the rough cells became virulent and caused disease, indicating that a hereditary material from the dead cells had entered the live cells and altered them. This provided the first strong hint that genetic information could be carried by a transferable substance, later identified as DNA. So the key takeaway is that a transforming principle transfers hereditary material from dead S strain to live R strain, hinting that DNA carries genetic information. The other options—DNA replication, proteins as genetic material, or RNA as the transforming principle—do not describe what Griffith demonstrated.

Griffith’s work showcases transformation: a substance from dead virulent bacteria can pass genetic information to living nonvirulent bacteria and change their phenotype. In his experiment, the smooth, virulent strain caused disease, while the rough, nonvirulent strain did not. When heat-killed smooth bacteria were mixed with live rough bacteria, some of the rough cells became virulent and caused disease, indicating that a hereditary material from the dead cells had entered the live cells and altered them. This provided the first strong hint that genetic information could be carried by a transferable substance, later identified as DNA. So the key takeaway is that a transforming principle transfers hereditary material from dead S strain to live R strain, hinting that DNA carries genetic information. The other options—DNA replication, proteins as genetic material, or RNA as the transforming principle—do not describe what Griffith demonstrated.