Question

Why did Hershey and Chase use \(^{35}\text{S}\) and \(^{32}\text{P}\) in their experiment? Explain.

Hint:

Radioactive isotopes are valuable tools for tracing molecules in biological experiments.

Answer 1

\(^{35}\text{S}\) was employed for protein labeling, owing to sulfur's presence in proteins and absence in DNA. \(^{32}\text{P}\) was utilized for DNA labeling, as phosphorus is a component of DNA but not of proteins. These labeling techniques facilitated the identification of DNA as the genetic material.