Oswald AveryBy: Jacob Horner, Patrick Fedigan, Michael Lin, and Nick

Constant

Background Check Born on October 21, 1877

Was a Canadian-born American physician and medical researcher

Studied in the field of molecular biology

His career was spent at Rockefeller University Hospital in New York City

Died February 20, 1955

Frederick Griffith Frederick Griffith discovered that bacterium are

capable of transferring genetic information by a process known as transformation.

This began Avery’s claim to fame.

This discovery was important for Avery because it helped lead to his main achievement.

It helped Avery because he picked up from Griffith’s first discoveries and added on to what was already known.

Avery’s Main Achievement

Years ago, it was always believed that genetic information was found in cell protein.

Oswald Avery discovered that genetic information is found in the DNA of cells, disproving that protein carried a cells genetic information.

By heat-treating bacteria, Avery injected the bacteria with a substance containing enzymes that destroyed proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleic acid RNA, but transformation still occurred.

This showed that protein was not responsible for transferring genetic information.

By repeating the experiment one more time, this time they used enzymes to break down DNA.

When DNA was destroyed, transformation did not occur. This proved that DNA was the transforming factor.

Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase

Hershey and Chase continued Avery’s research with the “Hershey-Chase” experiment.

The Hershey-Chase experiment helped confirm that DNA is genetic material

Because of this, people knew that proteins carried the information for inheritance.

Sources http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/12

/160212-004-5DF19B15.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oswald_Avery

Miller and Levine Biology Textbook