DNA

THE GENETIC
MATERIAL
DNA

What is DNA?
DNA is the genetic material which is
responsible for transfer of characters
from one generation to other
generation.
This was proved by different
experiments.
The first experiment which is
conducted is called as Griffiths
experiment.
GRIFFITHS EXPERIMENT
The first series of experiments were performed
by a British bacteriologist F. Griffith in 1928,
using the bacterium Diplococcus pneumoniae
which causes pneumonia in mammals.
Griffith noticed that this bacterium had two types

of strains.
S-type, which was capsulated and produced a

smooth colony on a synthetic medium.

R-type, which was non-capsulated and produced

rough colony on a synthetic medium.

 When S-type of bacteria was injected
into healthy mice, the mice developed
pneumonia and died. So S-type was
named as virulent or pathogenic.
However, R-type of bacteria was non-
pathogenic.
If heat killed S-type of bacteria were
injected into healthy mice, they did not
cause disease and the mice remained
healthy.
 When heat killed S-type of bacteria were
mixed with R-type living bacteria and the
mixture injected into healthy mice, the
mice developed pneumonia and died.
When bacteria were isolated from the
dead mice, they were of living S-type
and R-type.
Griffith announced that it was because of
a phenomenon other than mutation,
which he called transformation