Hershey Chase Experiment
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Transcript Hershey Chase Experiment
Bridget Dooling,
Connor Forlini,
Emily O’Donnell,
Staci Schaffling
Background
Hershey and Chase were testing two
hypotheses that were both competing
against each other.
DNA was the genetic material
Protein was the genetic material.
DNA vs. Protein
Early biologist thought that proteins
carried genetic information
Was thought that it was protein over
DNA because proteins are more
complex
What caused the experiment
In 1944, an experiment took place that
suggested that DNA was the genetic
material.
Science community was uncertain on
which was true
This is why the Hershey and Chase
experiment took place, they wanted to
determine the exact outcome of whether it
was DNA or proteins that carried the
genetic information
Hershey Chase Experiment Video
Explanation
Watch This!
You want to use a radioactive tracer that
will label only the protein in an RNA
virus. Assume the virus is composed
of only a protein coat and an RNA
core. Which of the following would
you use? Be sure to explain your
answer referring to the Hershey
Chase Experiment.
The choices
A) Radioactive P
B) Radioactive N
C) Radioactive S
D) Radioactive C
The Right answer!!
A) radioactive P
The answer is radioactive P because
when you look at the experiment
radioactive Phosphorus made the DNA
radioactive. Radioactive Sulfur made the
outer shell of the virus(Phage) radioactive
but not DNA.
We can exclude Radioactive Carbon and
Nitrogen from the beginning because they
were not used in the experiment