Molecular Basis of Inheritance Question 11
11. Transformation was discovered by: [2014]
(a) Meselson and Stahl
(b) Hershey and Chase
(c) Griffith
(d) Watson and Crick
Show Answer
Answer : c
Hints & Solution
(c) Frederick Griffith (in 1928), a British Medical officer described the phenomenon of bacterial transformation. He carried out experiment with Streptococcus pneumoniae (bacterium causing pneumonia) which is used to infect mice. By using S Strain (heat killed) and $R$ strain (live) it was concluded that $R$ strain has been transformed by some material of $S$ strain which makes $R$ strain virulent and enable to synthesize smooth polysachharide.