Question

question 3 of 25
what was the significance of hershey and chases findings?
a. they provided evidence that dna carries heritable information.
b. they showed that offspring inherit one allele for a trait from each parent.
c. they introduced the concept of a transforming principle.
d. they supported the idea that alleles are passed on independently of one another.

Explanation:

Hershey and Chase used bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria) in their experiments. They labeled the DNA of the bacteriophages with radioactive phosphorus (\(^{32}\text{P}\)) and the protein coat with radioactive sulfur (\(^{35}\text{S}\)). When the bacteriophages infected the bacteria, most of the \(^{32}\text{P}\) (associated with DNA) entered the bacteria, while the \(^{35}\text{S}\) (associated with protein) remained outside. This showed that DNA, not protein, was the genetic material that was transferred into the bacteria and carried heritable information.

• Option B is related to Mendel's laws of inheritance (specifically the law of segregation).
• Option C was related to Griffith's experiments with Streptococcus pneumoniae.
• Option D is related to Mendel's law of independent assortment.

Answer:

A. They provided evidence that DNA carries heritable information.