BIOLOGY EXPERIMENT

 Hershey-Chase Experiment 

*The Hershey-Chase Experiment (1952)*

The Hershey-Chase experiment was a landmark study conducted by Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase. It provided strong evidence that DNA is the genetic material responsible for transmitting information from one generation to the next in bacteriophages.

*Key Findings:*

1. *Bacteriophage T2:* Hershey and Chase worked with the T2 bacteriophage, which infects E. coli bacteria.

2. *Labeling the Phage:*

    - They labeled the phage's DNA with radioactive phosphorus-32 (³²P).

    - They labeled the phage's proteins with radioactive sulfur-35 (³⁵S).

3. *Experiment:*

    - They infected E. coli bacteria with the labeled phage.

    - They used a blender to shear off the phage particles from the bacterial surface.

    - They centrifuged the mixture to separate the bacterial cells from the phage particles.

4. *Results:*

    - The ³²P label (DNA) was found inside the bacterial cells.

    - The ³⁵S label (protein) remained outside the bacterial cells.

*Conclusion:*

The Hershey-Chase experiment demonstrated that DNA is the genetic material injected into the host bacterial cell during phage infection. This finding strongly supported the idea that DNA is the primary genetic material.

*Significance:*

The Hershey-Chase experiment provided crucial evidence for the role of DNA in genetic inheritance, building upon the discoveries of Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty. It further solidified DNA's central role in molecular biology.