NEETZoologyMolecular Basis of Inheritance
What did the experiment of Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty aim to determine?
Options
- AThe chemical nature of the transforming principle
- BThe genetic code
- CThe mechanism of protein synthesis
- DThe role of RNAs in inheritance
Correct answer
A. The chemical nature of the transforming principle
Step-by-step solution
Prior to the work of Oswald Avery, Colin MacLeod and Maclyn McCarty (1933-44), the genetic material was thought to be a protein. They worked to determine the biochemical nature of ‘transforming principle’ in Griffith's experiment . They purified biochemicals (proteins, DNA, RNA, etc.) from the heat-killed S cells to see which ones could transform live R cells into S cells. They discovered that DNA alone from S bacteria caused R bacteria to become transformed. They also discovered that protein-digesting enzymes (pro