Question

in trying to determine whether dna or protein was the genetic material, hershey and chase made use of which of the following facts about these two types of molecules? dna contains sulfur, whereas protein does not. dna contains nitrogen, whereas protein does not. dna contains purines, whereas protein includes pyrimidines. dna contains phosphorus, whereas protein does not.

Explanation:

Hershey and Chase used the fact that DNA contains phosphorus (in its phosphate groups) and protein does not (proteins have sulfur in some amino acids like cysteine but not phosphorus). DNA has nitrogen (in nitrogen - containing bases), and proteins also have nitrogen (in amino groups of amino acids). Both DNA (purines and pyrimidines) and proteins (amino acids which are not purines or pyrimidines in the sense of nucleic - acid bases) have different nitrogen - containing components. DNA does not contain sulfur (proteins do in some amino acids).

Answer:

DNA contains phosphorus, whereas protein does not.