What did the experiments of griffith avery and hershey and chase show?
The culmination of experiments proved DNA contains hereditary information. Scientists have known about DNA since the 1860’s but it was assumed that protein complexes carries the information for genetic traits. Not until Griffith first recognized a “transformation principle” during his work with viruses was DNA considered to contain hereditary information. Very few biologists however believed from his work alone that DNA contained hereditary information. The Avery-MacLeod-McCarty experiment, a continuation of the Griffith experiment, proved DNA, not proteins, are responsible for trait retention in offspring. Later Hershey and Chase took a radical approach with radio-tagging phosphorous and sulfur molecules in viruses to determine which of the two were passed on to offspring. Their experiment confirmed the conclusion of the Griffith and Avery-MacLeod-McCarty experiment, DNA contains hereditary information.
