Griffith's experiment
Griffith's experiment is a significant scientific experiment conducted by Frederick Griffith in 1928. It was one of the first experiments suggesting that bacteria could transfer genetic information through a process known as transformation.
Overview[edit | edit source]
Griffith's experiment involved two strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria: a virulent strain (S) and a non-virulent strain (R). The S strain was smooth and could cause disease, while the R strain was rough and could not. Griffith found that when he killed the S strain with heat and mixed it with the live R strain, some of the R strain bacteria transformed into the S strain, becoming virulent.
Procedure[edit | edit source]
Griffith's experiment consisted of four major steps:
- Griffith injected mice with the live S strain of bacteria. The mice developed pneumonia and died, demonstrating that the S strain was virulent.
- Griffith injected mice with the live R strain of bacteria. The mice did not develop pneumonia and lived, showing that the R strain was not virulent.
- Griffith injected mice with the heat-killed S strain of bacteria. The mice did not develop pneumonia and lived, indicating that the heat-killed S strain was not virulent.
- Griffith injected mice with a mixture of the heat-killed S strain and the live R strain of bacteria. The mice developed pneumonia and died. When Griffith examined the bacteria in the dead mice, he found live S strain bacteria. This suggested that some genetic material from the heat-killed S strain had transformed the live R strain into the S strain.
Significance[edit | edit source]
Griffith's experiment was significant because it suggested that bacteria could transfer genetic information through a process known as transformation. This was a revolutionary idea at the time and laid the groundwork for future studies on DNA and genetics.
See also[edit | edit source]
- Avery–MacLeod–McCarty experiment
- Hershey–Chase experiment
- Molecular genetics
- Bacterial transformation
References[edit | edit source]
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