👤 whose

Whose work first proved that DNA is the hereditary material?

Human BiologyGenetics

Quick Answer

Oswald Avery, Colin MacLeod, and Maclyn McCarty provided the key evidence in 1944. Their work showed that DNA, not protein, carried genetic information in bacteria.

The Full Story

In 1944, Oswald Avery, Colin MacLeod, and Maclyn McCarty demonstrated that the transforming principle from Griffith’s experiment was DNA. By selectively destroying proteins, RNA, or DNA, they showed that only DNA loss stopped transformation. Their findings were initially controversial but became a foundation of molecular biology. This work helped establish DNA as the molecule of heredity long before the double-helix structure was solved.

Key Facts

1.Their landmark paper was published in 1944
2.They studied Streptococcus pneumoniae
3.DNA was identified as the transforming principle

YouTube Angle

Suggested video title for this topic:

"The experiment that proved DNA carries heredity"