When Avery and McCarty were attempting to identify the substance involved transferring hereditary material, they tested the ability of a bacterial S cell extract to transform R cells after different components of the extract were degraded by enzymes. Which treatment inhibited the ability of the S cell extract to transform R cells?
A)DNA-degrading enzymes
B)RNA-degrading enzymes
C)protein-degrading enzymes
D)lipid-degrading enzymes
E)amino acid-degrading enzymes

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Avery and McCarty were trying to identify the transforming substance involved in transferring hereditary information between bacterial cells. They tested the ability of an S cell extract to transform R cells after degrading different components of the extract with enzymes. If DNA, which is the transforming substance, was degraded by DNA-degrading enzymes, then the ability of the S cell extract to transform R cells would be inhibited. Therefore, the best choice is A) DNA-degrading enzymes.

When Avery and McCarty Were Attempting to Identify the Substance