Chapter 13.
1 Notes
Key concepts:
● Experiments with bacteria and phages provided the first strong evidence that the genetic
material is DNA
● Watson and Crick deduced that DNA is a double helix and built a structural model. Two
antiparallel sugar-phosphate chains wind around the outside of the molecule; the
nitrogenous bases project into the interior, where they hydrogen-bond in specific pairs: A
with T, G with C
Paraphrased key concepts:
● To find out that genetic material is made up of DNA, bacteria and phages were used in
experiments for evidence
○ This provided some of the first strong evidence
● James Watson and Francis Crick created a model of DNA that was a double helix with
nitrogenous bases inside the molecule that pair together
Vocab:
● Transformation: A change in genotype and phenotype due to the assimilation of external
DNA by a cell. When the external DNA is from a member of a different species,
transformation results in horizontal gene transfer
● Bacteriophages (phages): A virus that infects bacteria
● Virus: An infectious particle incapable of replicating outside of a cell, consisting of an
RNA or DNa genome surrounded by a protein coat (capsid) and, for some viruses, a
membranous envelope
● Antiparallel: Referring to the arrangement of the sugar-phosphate backbones in a DNA
double helix
● Double helix: The form of native DNA, referring to its two adjacent antiparallel
polynucleotide strands wound around an imaginary axis into a spiral shape
Who, what, when, where, why, and how?
● Who’s:
○ Frederick Griffith: He was trying to develop a vaccine against pneumonia. In the
process, he transferred some dead remains of a pathogenic bacteria to some
nonpathogenic bacteria and the nonpathogenic bacteria became pathogenic. This
is called “transformation” and the substance that causes this is DNA.
○ Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase: Performed experiments answering the
question of which viral component – protein or DNA – allowed a phage to
reprogram a host cell to produce viruses? They used a radioactive isotope of
sulfur to tag the protein and the DNA in separate batches. The results were that
the phage DNA entered the host cell but the phage protein did not. Thus proving
that DNA carries genetic information and not proteins.
○ Erwin Chargaff: He studied the composition of DNA in different species. He
found that there are many different base compositions proving molecule diversity
within DNA that had not been thought of before. He also learned that nucleotide
bases pair because there was an almost equal percentage of A to T and G to C.
○ Rosalind Franklin: Created X-rays that showed an X-ray diffraction pattern that
helical molecules produce. This confirmed the helical shape of DNA.
○ James Watson and Francis Crick: They built a DNA structure that conformed to
the X-ray pattern and measurements and using knowledge of the chemistry of
DNA.
● What’s:
○ DNA: A nucleic acid molecule, usually a double-stranded helix, in which each
polynucleotide strand consists of nucleotide monomers with a deoxyribose sugar
and nitrogenous bases
○ Transformation: A change in genotype and phenotype due to the assimilation of
external DNA by a cell. When the external DNA is from a member of a different
species, transformation results in horizontal gene transfer
○ Nucleotide bases: In DNA and RNA, a nitrogenous base forms a bond with a 5-
sided carbon sugar molecule, which forms a “backbone” for the entire molecule.
A nitrogenous base plus this sugar backbone is known as a nucleotide, and forms
the building blocks of DNA and RNA. Made up of adenine, cytosine, guanine,
thymine, and uracil
● When:
○ Frederick Griffith events occurred in 1928
○ Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase experiments occurred in 1952
○ Erwin Chargaff in 1950
○ Rosalind Franklin started her work at around 1951
○ Watson and Crick built their structure in 1953
● Where:
○ Most of this work regarding DNA double helix was done in America and Britain
● Why:
○ Science discovery
● How:
○ Through experiments at major research universities
