Question

Imagine that you repeat the Hershey and Chase experiment but use radioactive Carbon instead of Sulfur or Phosphorous. What statements below will be true for this experimental setting? Select one: a. The macromolecule responsible of genetic transmission could NOT be identified by this experiment O b. None of the listed statements are appropriate conclusions for this experimental setting c. Based on this experimental setting, it can be concluded that Protein, and not DNA, is the macromolecule responsible of genetic transmission. d. The radioactive carbon will be found on the supernatant only e. The radioactive carbon would NOT be found neither in the supernatant or the bacterial pellet

Answer 1

The aim of the Hershey-Chase experiment was to show that DNA was the genetic material and protein was not. They allowed radioactively labelled bacteriophages to infect bacterial cells and showed that only the DNA of the virus passes into the bacterium and most of the viral protein capsid remains outside. In their experiment they chose radioactive labelled phosphorus and sulfur because proteins contain almost no phosphorus and DNA does not contain sulfur. This way they could trace the proteins and DNA molecules separately. Using radioactive Carbon would not have given a concrete proof of DNA being the only genetic material because carbon atoms are present in both proteins and DNA.

So, the correct statement would be - [a] the macromolecule responsible for genetic information could not be identified by this experiment.