Biology / Unit 6 Bio 1197 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Hershey and Chase's Blender Experiment (1952)
Captions available
The idea
Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase confirmed DNA as the genetic material in 1952 by radioactively labeling a bacteriophage's protein and DNA separately.
In practice
Only the phage's DNA label entered infected bacterial cells; the protein label stayed outside and was removed by blending.
Where people slip
The experiment traced which molecule enters the host cell — it did not itself reveal DNA's structure.
Your place on the trail
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