Which enzymes did Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty use in order to identify the genetic material?
Question
Which enzymes did Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty use in order to identify the genetic material?
Solution
Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty did not use enzymes to identify the genetic material. Instead, they used a process called transformation to determine that DNA is the genetic material. Here are the steps they followed:
- They started by isolating the genetic material from a heat-killed strain of bacteria that caused pneumonia.
- Next, they treated the isolated genetic material with enzymes called proteases, which break down proteins. This step was done to ensure that any proteins present in the sample would not interfere with their experiments.
- They then treated the sample with enzymes called ribonucleases, which break down RNA. This step was done to eliminate any RNA that might be present in the sample.
- Finally, they treated the sample with enzymes called deoxyribonucleases, which break down DNA. If the genetic material was still intact after this treatment, it would indicate that DNA is the genetic material.
Through their experiments, Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty found that when the DNA was destroyed by the deoxyribonucleases, the transforming ability of the genetic material was lost. This led them to conclude that DNA is the substance responsible for carrying genetic information.
Similar Questions
Which enzymes did Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty use in order to identify the genetic material?Multiple select question.Lipid digesting enzymesDNA digesting enzymesRNA digesting enzymesCarbohydrate digesting enzymes
PROCEDUREUse the information in the film to answer the following questions in the spaces provided. You may want to usethe film’s transcript as a reference.1. In the 1950s, many scientists thought that proteins, not DNA, carried genetic information.a. Why did proteins seem better suited for storing genetic information?b. Oswald Avery’s experiments with bacteria led him and other scientists to propose the following claim:DNA, not proteins, carries genetic information. Complete the table below to explain how Avery’sexperiments supported this claim.Claim: DNA, not proteins, carries genetic information.Evidence: (List three pieces of evidence for the claim from Avery’s experiments.)Reasoning: (In full sentences, explain how each piece of evidence supports the claim.)2. What are the chemical components of a DNA nucleotide? _______a. a phosphate, a sugar, and a nitrogenous baseb. a phosphate, a nitrogenous base, and an amino acidc. a nitrogenous base, a sugar, and an amino acidd. a nitrogenous base, ATP, and a sugar3. The two strands of a DNA molecule are held together by hydrogen bonds between the: _______a. phosphate groups on each strandb. nitrogenous bases on each strandc. bases and the phosphate-sugar backboned. carbon atoms in the sugars
Which of these types of enzymes is involved in setting up the replication fork?Group of answer choicesDNA glycosylaseDNA helicaseTelomerasePrimase
Which of flowing virus was used by Hershey and Chase to prove that DNA is the chemical basis of heredity?*1 pointLambda phageColiphageT2 BacteriophageT4 Bacteriophage
Which of the following biomolecules can recognize the genetic code?Group of answer choicesaminoacyl tRNA synthaseaminoacyl tRNA synthetaseaminoacyl tRNA esteraseaminoacyl tRNA transacetylaseaminoacyl tRNA diesterase
Upgrade your grade with Knowee
Get personalized homework help. Review tough concepts in more detail, or go deeper into your topic by exploring other relevant questions.