The Pneumococcus experiment of Griffith proves that

Options

A. DNA is the tranforming principle
B. Bacteria undergo binary fission
C. Bacteria do not reproduce sexualy
D. RNA sometime controls the production of DNA and proteins

Answer

To solve the question regarding the Pneumococcus experiment of Griffith, we need to understand the significance of this experiment in genetics. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of the solution:

### Step 1: Understand the Experiment
Griffith's experiment involved two strains of the bacterium *Streptococcus pneumoniae* (pneumococcus): the smooth (S) strain, which is virulent, and the rough (R) strain, which is non-virulent.

**Hint:** Focus on the characteristics of the two strains involved in the experiment.

### Step 2: Conducting the Experiment
Griffith injected mice with different combinations of these strains:
- Mice injected with the S strain died.
- Mice injected with the R strain survived.
- Mice injected with heat-killed S strain survived.
- Mice injected with a mixture of heat-killed S strain and live R strain died.

**Hint:** Remember the outcomes of each injection to understand the transformation process.

### Step 3: Observing Transformation
The key observation was that the mice injected with the mixture of heat-killed S strain and live R strain died, and when their blood was analyzed, live S strain bacteria were found. This indicated that some factor from the dead S strain transformed the R strain into the virulent S strain.

**Hint:** Think about what this transformation implies about genetic material.

### Step 4: Conclusion of the Experiment
Griffith concluded that the R strain had been transformed into the S strain by a "transforming principle." This was later identified as DNA, which carries genetic information.

**Hint:** Consider the implications of this conclusion on the understanding of heredity and genetics.

### Final Answer
The Pneumococcus experiment of Griffith proves that genetic material can be transferred from dead bacteria to live bacteria, resulting in a change in phenotype. This laid the groundwork for the discovery of DNA as the genetic material.

---