Griffith's experiment

Griffith's experiment (pronounced: /ˈɡrɪfɪθs ɪkˈspɛrɪmənt/) is a significant scientific experiment in the field of genetics. It was conducted by British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith in 1928. The experiment was a major milestone in establishing the concept of DNA as the carrier of genetic information.

Etymology

The term "Griffith's experiment" is named after the scientist who conducted the experiment, Frederick Griffith. The word "experiment" comes from the Latin word "experimentum," which means a trial or test.

Overview

Griffith's experiment involved two strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria: the S (smooth) strain, which was virulent, and the R (rough) strain, which was non-virulent. Griffith found that when he injected mice with the heat-killed S strain and the live R strain, the mice died. This suggested that some "transforming principle" from the S strain had been transferred to the R strain, making it virulent. This was the first demonstration of bacterial transformation, where a bacterium changes its phenotype and genotype due to the uptake of foreign genetic material.

Significance

Griffith's experiment was significant because it suggested that genes could be transferred between bacteria via some form of "molecule of heredity". This laid the groundwork for the discovery of DNA as the genetic material by Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty in their experiments in the 1940s.

Related Terms

• Bacterial transformation
• DNA
• Genetics
• Phenotype
• Genotype
• Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Griffith's experiment
• Wikipedia's article - Griffith's experiment

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