Hershey and Chase's Experiment: The Use of Radioactive Sulfur and Phosphorous

Why were radioactive sulfur and phosphorous used to label bacteriophage in Hershey and Chase's experiment?

Answer:

Radioactive sulfur was used to label proteins and phosphorous to label nucleic acids in the bacteriophage in Hershey and Chase's experiment.

In Hershey and Chase's experiment, radioactive sulfur and phosphorous were used to label bacteriophage because sulfur is found in proteins and phosphorous is a component of nucleic acids.

This method allowed researchers to track the movement of proteins and nucleic acids in the bacteriophage, helping to determine which one actually entered the bacterial cells during infection.

Radioactive labeling of key components helped in understanding the mechanism of genetic transfer between viruses and bacteria, leading to important discoveries in the field of molecular biology.