The Genetic Material

G E N E T I C S-1
BIOL 1364
Introductory Genetics
Lecturer: Dr. Winston Elibox
Teaching Assistant: Ms. Akili Mata- your tutorials

G E N E T I C S-1
DNA or RNA
Module 1.1
THE GENETIC MATERIAL

G E N E T I C S-1
LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Explain why the genetic material can either be DNA or RNA.
• Describe the crucial experiments that proved nucleic acids

as the genetic material of living organisms.
• Distinguish between DNA and chromosomes and explain the

chromosome theory of inheritance.
G E N E T I C S-1
• The total genetic information within a cell is referred to as

the genome.
• Genomes are comprised of nucleic acids in the form of DNA

or RNA.
• DNA is packaged into organised structures known as

chromosomes and encodes all hereditary information.
• Segments of DNA that encode functional products (proteins)

are known as genes.
G E N E T I C S-1
G E N E T I C S-1
HOW DO WE KNOW
THAT NUCLEIC ACIDS
(DNA / RNA) ARE THE
GENETIC MATERIALS?
G E N E T I C S-1
Three experiments proved without a doubt that DNA
(deoxyribonucleic acid) is the near universal genetic material:
1. Transforming Experiment
Griffith (1928)
Avery, McCarthy & McCleod (1944)
2. Blender Experiments
Hershey & Chase (1953)
3. Reconstituted TMV Experiment

Fraenkel-Conrat (1955)
G E N E T I C S-1
1a. Transforming Experiment (Griffith, 1928)

• Griffith’s experiment employed TWO different strains
of Pneumococcus bacteria:
• IIIS (smooth) causes pneumonia.
• IIR (rough) is harmless.
• Both strains were used to infect mice:

• IIIS- mice died.
• IIR- mice survived.
G E N E T I C S-1
1a. Transforming Experiment continued
• Mice injected with dead IIIS survived.
• Mice injected with a mixture of dead IIIS and live

IIR died.
• Live IIIS were recovered from the carcases.
• The IIR was transformed by a component (called the

transforming principle) of the dead IIIS.
G E N E T I C S-1
1a. Transforming Experiment (illustration)
G E N E T I C S-I
1b. Transforming principle (Avery, McCarthy &
McCleod,1944)
• Three DNA isolations were performed from dead IIIS.
• Each isolated DNA was treated with one enzyme:
• Proteinase- degrades proteins
• Ribonuclease (RNAse) – degrades RNA
• Deoxyribonuclease (DNAse) – degrades DNA.
• When live IIR was added, only DNAse treatment did

not result in live IIIS cells.
• Conclusion: DNA is the genetic material!!!
G E N E T I C S-1
G E N E T I C S-I
2. Hershey-Chase Experiment: Blender Experiment
• Bacteriophages were used to prove DNA is the
genetic material.
• Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacterial cells.

• The phage consists of DNA surrounded by a
protein coat.
• Bacteriophages infect bacteria by injecting their DNA

into the bacterial cell, but the protein coat remains
on the outside.
• Radioactive labelling helped identify whether protein

or DNA was acting as the genetic material.
G E N E T I C S-1
• Bacteriophages grown in medium
containing 35S-labelled amino
acids showed no radioactivity
inside the infected bacterial cell.
• Bacteriophages grown in medium

containing 32P resulted in
radioactive labelling of DNA in
the infected bacterial cell.
• DNA molecules in the progeny

bacteriophages inside the
bacterial cell were also
radioactive.
G E N E T I C S-I
3. Reconstituted TMV experiment (RNA!!!)
• Many viruses have RNA and protein but no DNA.
• Two strains (A and B) of TMV (tobacco mosaic virus) were treated

with chemicals to dissociate the protein coat from the RNA.
• Protein from strain-A was mixed with RNA from strain-B.

•
• All progeny viruses contained RNA from strain-B and a protein
coat from strain-B.
• Hence RNA must be the genetic material.

G E N E T I C S-I
3. Reconstituted TMV experiment (Illustration)
G E N E T I C S-I
SUMMARY
• Two experiments showed conclusively that DNA is the
genetic material:
– Transforming experiment and Transforming principle
– Blender Experiment.
• The reconstituted TMV experiment showed that RNA

is the genetic material in some plant viruses.

The Genetic Material

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Genetic Material

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Genetic Material

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

G E N E T I C S-1

Lecturer: Dr. Winston Elibox

Teaching Assistant: Ms. Akili Mata- your tutorials

THE GENETIC MATERIAL

• Describe the crucial experiments that proved nucleic acids

• Distinguish between DNA and chromosomes and explain the

• The total genetic information within a cell is referred to as

• Genomes are comprised of nucleic acids in the form of DNA

• DNA is packaged into organised structures known as

• Segments of DNA that encode functional products (proteins)

3. Reconstituted TMV Experiment

1a. Transforming Experiment (Griffith, 1928)

• Both strains were used to infect mice:

1a. Transforming Experiment continued

• Mice injected with dead IIIS survived.

• Mice injected with a mixture of dead IIIS and live

• The IIR was transformed by a component (called the

• When live IIR was added, only DNAse treatment did

• Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacterial cells.

• Bacteriophages infect bacteria by injecting their DNA

• Radioactive labelling helped identify whether protein

• Bacteriophages grown in medium

• DNA molecules in the progeny

• Two strains (A and B) of TMV (tobacco mosaic virus) were treated

• Protein from strain-A was mixed with RNA from strain-B.

• Hence RNA must be the genetic material.

• The reconstituted TMV experiment showed that RNA

You might also like