Question

Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase performed a famous experiment that has been dubbed the blender experiment. In it, they attempted to prove that the hereditary material was DNA. They named the experiment as blender experiment because
I. They blended viruses and bacteria into agar slants.
II. They blended bacteria and viruses together after infection to rid the bacteria of their virus coats.
III. They found that by blending viruses and bacteria together, the viruses could be trapped on the sides of the blender.

A) Only I
B) Only II
C) Only III
D) I AND III both are true
E) I,II,III all are true

Answer 1

1951-1952, Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase conducted a series of experiments at the Carnegie Institute of Washington in Cold Spring Harbor, New York, that verified genes were made of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).

Complete answer:
In the twentieth century, scientists debated whether genes were made of protein or DNA. Genes control an organism’s growth and development and are the basis for organisms’ ability to take over traits like eye color or fur color from their parents. In 1900 scientists had recognized the complete chemical composition of DNA. They had also confirmed that all cells contained DNA, however, DNA’s function remained uncertain. Until 1940 some scientists accepted the idea that genes were not made of DNA, in its place, those scientists supported the idea that DNA was a molecule that maintains cell structure.
Hershey and Chase conducted their experiments and named it as the Hershey-Chase experiments. It was done on viruses that infect bacteria, also called bacteriophages. The experiments followed decades of scientists’ disbelief about whether genetic material was contained as protein or DNA. The most known Hershey-Chase experiment called the Waring Blender experiment, provided actual evidence that genes were made up of DNA. The Hershey-Chase experiments developed the old argument about the composition of genes, thereby allowing scientists to explore the molecular mechanisms by which genes function in organisms.
Hershey and Chase made use of the T2 phage, a bacteriophage. The phage infects a bacterium by attaching to it and then injecting its genetic material into it. It means that the phage's proteins stay on the outer surface of the bacterium. These results showed that the genetic material that infects the bacteria is DNA.
For their purpose, they blended phage and bacteria immediately after infection in a normal kitchen appliance to take away the phage coat. Following this, the viral DNA enters the bacterial cell.
So the correct answer is option B.
Note: Hershey and Chase did a simple experiment to help prove that DNA is the genetic material. They tagged the DNA and protein of a bacteriophage and observed to see which material was being injected into bacterial cells and used the genetic material to produce new phages.