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Multiple Choice
Hershey and Chase set out to determine what molecule served as the unit of inheritance. Which molecular component of the T2 virus actually ended up inside the cell?
A
The protein coat.
B
RNA.
C
Ribosome.
D
DNA.
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand the context of the Hershey and Chase experiment: They aimed to determine whether DNA or protein was the genetic material that viruses transfer to bacteria.
Recognize that the T2 virus, or bacteriophage, is composed of DNA and a protein coat. The experiment needed to identify which of these components entered the bacterial cell.
Recall the experimental design: Hershey and Chase used radioactive isotopes to label the DNA and protein separately. They used sulfur-35 to label the protein coat (since proteins contain sulfur) and phosphorus-32 to label the DNA (since DNA contains phosphorus).
Analyze the results: After allowing the T2 phages to infect the bacteria, they used a blender to separate the phage coats from the bacterial cells and then centrifuged the mixture to isolate the bacteria.
Conclude from the results: They found that the radioactive phosphorus (from the DNA) was inside the bacterial cells, while the radioactive sulfur (from the protein) remained outside. This indicated that DNA, not protein, was the molecule that entered the cell and served as the unit of inheritance.