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DNA Discovery definitions

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  • Genetic Material
    Molecule responsible for storing and transmitting hereditary information in living organisms.
  • Protein
    Complex macromolecule once believed to store genetic information due to its diversity of amino acids.
  • Amino Acid
    Building block of proteins, with twenty varieties contributing to protein complexity.
  • DNA
    Nucleic acid identified as the true carrier of genetic information in cells and viruses.
  • DNA Base
    One of four chemical units forming the genetic code within the DNA molecule.
  • Oswald Avery
    Scientist whose experiments with bacteria demonstrated that nucleic acids, not proteins, carry genetic traits.
  • Hershey-Chase Experiment
    Study using radioactive labeling to confirm that viruses transfer nucleic acids, not proteins, to infect bacteria.
  • Bacteriophage
    Virus that specifically infects bacterial cells, used in pivotal genetic experiments.
  • Double Helix
    Spiral structure explaining how genetic information is stored, replicated, and inherited in DNA.
  • James Watson
    Researcher who, with Francis Crick, elucidated the three-dimensional structure of DNA.
  • Francis Crick
    Scientist who co-discovered the structural model of DNA, revealing its role in heredity.
  • Nucleic Acid
    Type of biological macromolecule, including DNA, essential for genetic information storage.
  • Radioactive Labeling
    Technique for tracking molecules by attaching detectable isotopes, crucial in identifying genetic material.
  • Infectivity
    Ability of an agent, such as a virus or bacterium, to cause infection in a host organism.
  • Replication
    Process by which genetic information is precisely copied for inheritance during cell division.