McCarty

Definition

Colin Munro MacLeod, Oswald Avery, and Maclyn McCarty are credited with proving that DNA is the substance that causes bacterial transformation. Their groundbreaking work established DNA as the material of inheritance.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Maclyn McCarty was part of the team that demonstrated DNA is the hereditary material.
2. The experiments by Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty showed that purified DNA could transform pneumococcal bacteria.
3. Their work built on Frederick Griffith's discovery of the 'transforming principle' in pneumococcus.
4. McCarty's research helped shift scientific consensus towards recognizing DNA as genetic material instead of proteins.
5. The pivotal paper by Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty was published in 1944.

Review Questions

• What was Maclyn McCarty's role in identifying DNA as the hereditary material?
• How did McCarty and his colleagues' experiments build on Griffith's earlier work?
• Why was the discovery by Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty significant for genetics?

Related terms

Frederick Griffith: Discovered the 'transforming principle' in pneumococcal bacteria.

Oswald Avery: Led the team that included McCarty to prove DNA is genetic material.

Bacterial Transformation: A process where one bacterium takes up foreign genetic material from its surroundings.