The Hershey-Chase Experiment definitions Flashcards
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Hershey Chase Experiment
1952 experiment using bacteriophages to confirm DNA, not protein, as the genetic material by showing DNA, not protein, enters bacterial cells during infection.
Genetic Material
Genetic material is the molecule responsible for storing and transmitting hereditary information in living organisms, confirmed to be DNA through the Hershey-Chase experiment.
Bacteriophages
Viruses that infect bacteria, consisting of a protein coat surrounding DNA or RNA, used in the Hershey-Chase experiment to confirm DNA as the genetic material.
Phages
Viruses that infect bacteria, using their machinery to replicate by injecting their nucleic acid, typically consisting of a protein coat surrounding DNA or RNA.
Protein Coat
A protective shell made of proteins that encases the genetic material of a virus, such as a bacteriophage, safeguarding the nucleic acid core and aiding in the infection of host cells.
Nucleic Acid Core
The central region of a virus, typically surrounded by a protein coat, containing the genetic material (DNA or RNA) essential for replication and infection of host cells.
Alfred Hershey
A scientist who, along with Martha Chase, conducted the 1952 experiment using bacteriophages to confirm that DNA is the genetic material, not protein.
Martha Chase
Scientist who, with Alfred Hershey, conducted the 1952 experiment using bacteriophages to confirm DNA as the genetic material, disproving the protein hypothesis.