Genetics- Experiments proving

DNA as genetic material

Prepared by:

Nidhi Gupta

Mendel experimented with pea plants

and came up with three laws of
inheritence:
oLaw of Dominance
oLaw of Segregation
oLaw of Independent Assortment
Likewise story of The discovery of
genetic material has a bacteria at the
centre stage..

Streptococcus pneumoniae
A bacteria which causes pneumonia.
It exists as two distinct strains.
One which forms rough textured pinpoint colonies and
other which forms smooth spreading colonies.

Living R
strain

Living S
strain

Polysaccharide coat

Griffiths Experiment
Nonvirulent
1. R strain (Living)
Ouch..

Living
R strain

2. S strain(Living)Virulent

Living
S strain

Griffiths Experiment (continued..)

3. S strain ( Heat killed)

4.R strain (Living) + Heat killed S strain

Living
S strain

Does that mean that nonvirulent R strain changed

to virulent S strain?..
Yes
When ?

Living R
strain

Heat killed
S strain

Living
S strain

Something moved from the heat killed S strain to R strain

changing it to S strain..
This process is known as Transformation.
That something (?) is known as transforming principle.

Avery, Mac Leod and Mc Carty Experiment

1.

Return
Next

Return

Lets know about T2

T2 is a bacteriophage.
Bacteriophage is a virus
which infect bacteria and
multiply within it.
T2 has a protein capsid
enclosing DNA.

Life cycle of a virus

Which component of a bacteriophage

is the heredity material
that enters a bacterial cell
to direct the assembly of new viral particles?
DNA or Protein

Hershey and Chase

Experiment

Before the experiment was started, it required.

Steps followed:
Infection- Radioactive Bacteriophage allowed to infect
bacteria and transfer the genetic material.
Blending-It removes ghost bacteriophage from bacterial
surface.
Centrifugation- Causes settling of bacterial cells as
pellet and bacteriophage ghosts come in
supernatant.
Check for radioactivity- In pellet or supernatant?
So how will we determine the genetic material???..

With Hot DNA

(Radioactive Phosphorus)
P32

1.Infection

2.Blending

Radioactivity in
bacterial pellet
suggests that
radioactive P32
/ DNA is
present inside
bacteria.

With Hot Protein

(Radioactive Sulphur S35 )

1.Infection

2.Blending

Radioactivity in
solution
suggests that
radioactive S35
/ Protein is
present outside
bacteria.

DNA is the
genetic material..