Question

Who first identified the transforming principle?

• A. Oswald Avery.
• B. Frederick Griffith.
• C. James Watson.
• D. Rosalind Franklin.

Hint:

The transforming principle was discovered by Frederick Griffith in 1928. However, its identification as DNA was made by Oswald Avery and his team in 1944.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Historical context.
Frederick Griffith first introduced the "transforming principle" in 1928 through his experiments with \textit{Streptococcus pneumoniae}. He showed that genetic material from dead, virulent bacteria could make non-virulent bacteria virulent. Step 2: Contributions of scientists.

Oswald Avery: In 1944, Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty's experiments identified DNA as the transforming principle.
James Watson: Collaborated with Francis Crick to discover the structure of DNA.
Rosalind Franklin: Provided crucial X-ray diffraction data that was instrumental in understanding DNA's structure.

Step 3: Summary.
The concept of a transforming principle was initially proposed and demonstrated by Frederick Griffith. Its identification as DNA was later confirmed by Avery and his team. The correct answer is: Frederick Griffith.