Name: griffith’s mouse experiment and dna
Uploaded: 2026-06-01T06:28:13.073Z
Duration: 1 min 33 s
Channel: JoVE

K12 Standards

Virginia  Standards of Learning

HIgh School

Life Science

LS.10

LS.10.a

Bacterial Transformation

Bacterial transformation is the process by which bacteria take up exogenous DNA from the environment.Some bacteria can naturally take up this exogenous DNA, while others are chemically induced in the lab to make their cell membrane permeable to DNA. This step is part of DNA cloning, which helps scientists study gene sequences, their functions, and the proteins they encode.In the lab, the DNA sequence of interest is inserted into a circular piece of DNA called a plasmid. This DNA of interest is the exogenous DNA that will be introduced into the bacteria.The plasmid usually also carries an antibiotic resistance gene, which helps scientists to identify bacteria that have taken up the plasmid.A large number of copies of the plasmid are added to the liquid medium containing the competent bacteria, followed by a brief heat shock. The sudden temperature change from ice to 42&#xB0;C increases membrane permeability, allowing plasmid DNA to enter the cell.The bacteria are then grown on selective media containing a specific antibiotic, which allows only resistant cells that have taken up the cloned plasmid to survive and grow.Only transformed cells multiply to form colonies, which are visible spots of bacterial growth derived from a single cell.

bacterial transformation

In 1928, bacteriologist Frederick Griffith worked on a vaccine for pneumonia, which is caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. Griffith studied two pneumonia strains in mice: one pathogenic and one non-pathogenic. Only the pathogenic strain killed host mice.Griffith made an unexpected discovery when he killed the pathogenic strain and mixed its remains with the live, non-pathogenic strain. Not only did the mixture kill host mice, but it also contained living pathogenic bacteria that produced pathogenic offspring. Griffith concluded that the non-pathogenic strain received something from the dead pathogenic strain that transformed it into the pathogenic strain; he called this the transforming principle.At the time of Griffith&#x2019;s studies, there was heated debate surrounding the identity of the genetic material. Much early evidence implicated proteins as the hereditary molecules. Griffith&#x2019;s experiments on bacterial transformation provided some of the earliest data demonstrating that DNA is the genetic material.Bacteria incorporate external DNA through transformation. Transformation occurs naturally but is also induced in laboratories&#x2014;often to clone DNA. To clone a specific gene, scientists can insert the gene into a plasmid, a circular DNA molecule that can independently replicate. The plasmid often contains an antibiotic resistance gene. Bacteria take up the plasmid through transformation. Scientists then expose the bacteria to antibiotics. Surviving bacterial colonies should contain the plasmid because the plasmid contains an antibiotic resistance gene. DNA analysis can confirm the gene&#x2019;s presence in the plasmid. Bacterial colonies with the desired gene propagate and can be used to make more plasmids or proteins.Why would bacteria take in foreign DNA? Unlike sexually reproducing organisms, bacteria essentially clone themselves. This reproductive method, called binary fission, offers few opportunities for genetic variation. Although mutations introduce some diversity, many mutations are harmful. Sharing genes through transformation, as well as conjugation and transduction, allows prokaryotes to evolve.

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Biology

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DNA Structure and Function

KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

griffith’s mouse experiment and dna

Bacterial transformation explains how DNA can move into bacteria and change their traits. Frederick Griffith first noticed this in 1928 while studying pneumonia-causing Streptococcus pneumoniae in mice. He compared one pathogenic strain with one non-pathogenic strain and found that only the pathogenic strain killed the host mice.

Griffith made an unexpected discovery when he killed the pathogenic bacteria and mixed their remains with live, non-pathogenic bacteria. The mixture killed the mice, and it also contained living pathogenic bacteria that produced pathogenic offspring. He concluded that the live non-pathogenic strain had taken in something from the dead pathogenic strain. Griffith called that unknown material the transforming principle.

At the time, scientists were still debating what molecule carried hereditary information. Many early studies pointed to proteins as the genetic material. Griffith’s transformation experiments provided some of the earliest evidence that DNA is the genetic material.

Transformation also happens in the lab, where scientists use it to clone DNA. A gene can be inserted into a plasmid, which is a circular DNA molecule that can copy itself independently. The plasmid often carries an antibiotic resistance gene. Bacteria take up the plasmid through transformation, and then scientists grow them in antibiotics. Bacteria that survive should contain the plasmid, and DNA analysis can confirm that the desired gene is present.

Colonies with the correct plasmid can then be grown to make more plasmids or proteins. Bacteria may take in foreign DNA because they need genetic variation. Unlike sexually reproducing organisms, bacteria mainly reproduce by binary fission, which creates few chances for variation. Mutations can add diversity, but many mutations are harmful. Sharing genes through transformation, conjugation, and transduction helps prokaryotes evolve.

Griffith’s Mouse Experiment and DNA

the dna helix

How DNA Stores Genetic Information

DNA stores genetic information that is passed from one generation to the next in organisms and most viruses. It is built from two strands of nucleotides that twist together into a double helix. The story of how scientists uncovered this structure developed step by step over nearly a century. Each DNA strand is made of nucleotides. A nucleotide contains the sugar deoxyribose, a phosphate group, and one of four nitrogen bases: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), or thymine (T). Adenine and...

dna packaging

Chromatin and Histones in DNA Packing

Eukaryotic cells must pack long DNA molecules into the nucleus, and chromatin makes that possible. DNA wraps around proteins called histones to form nucleosomes, which are the main unit of DNA packaging. Nucleosomes then coil into compact chromatin fibers. The amount of DNA in a cell is much larger than it first seems. A single human skin cell has about 3 billion base pairs of DNA, and if that DNA were stretched out in a line, it would be about 2 meters long. With about 50 trillion cells in...

organization of genes

Genes, Introns, and Regulatory DNA

Eukaryotic genes are arranged within DNA along with non-coding regions that help control gene activity. A DNA strand includes genes and intergenic regions, which are the stretches between genes. These regions do not code for proteins, but they can contain important regulatory elements such as promoters, enhancers, and silencers. A gene itself is not a single continuous coding block. It usually contains protein-coding exons and non-coding introns. After DNA is transcribed into pre-mRNA in the...

karyotyping

Chromosome Stains for Detecting Disorders

Chromosome staining helps scientists find genetic disorders by showing the number and physical features of chromosomes. These features appear after DNA condenses into chromosomes during mitosis. Cytogeneticists then stop mitosis and stain the chromosomes to study their banding pattern. The pattern reveals details such as chromosome number, shape, and type. A chromosome description like this is called a karyotype. To create one, scientists take an image of the stained chromosomes and identify...

replication in prokaryotes

How Prokaryotic DNA Is Copied

Prokaryotic DNA is copied through a coordinated process with three main stages: initiation, elongation, and termination. It begins when initiator proteins bind to the single origin of replication, or ori, on the cell’s circular chromosome. The DNA then copies around the circle in both directions, starting from two replication forks, and this produces two DNA molecules. Several proteins work together to open and protect the DNA during replication. Topoisomerase cuts one side of the...

replication in eukaryotes

Eukaryotic DNA Copying and Telomeres

Eukaryotic DNA copying is tightly regulated and must duplicate many linear chromosomes before cell division. The process is highly conserved and uses many proteins with specialized roles. It moves through initiation, elongation, and termination, and it ends with two complete sets of chromosomes in the nucleus. Eukaryotic replication shares basic steps with prokaryotic DNA replication, but the larger genome and linear chromosomes require more proteins. Replication begins at multiple origins of...

proofreading

DNA Polymerase Fixes Replication Errors

DNA polymerase helps copy DNA and fix mistakes during replication. It adds nucleotides in a sequence that matches the template DNA strand. The enzyme also has a higher affinity for the correct base, which helps keep DNA replication accurate. As new genomic DNA is made, it is synthesized in the 5’ to 3’ direction. In many cells, DNA polymerases have different jobs in this process. DNA polymerase delta and DNA polymerase epsilon can proofread when nuclear DNA is being copied. These polymerases...

mismatch repair

DNA Mismatch Repair in Replication

DNA mismatch repair fixes copying errors that happen during DNA replication. When DNA polymerase makes a mistake, the cell can detect a wrong base pair, such as A with G or T with C, and replace it with the correct nucleotide. This repair system works in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes and depends on several proteins. The Mutator protein family plays a central role in this process. In bacteria such as Escherichia coli, MutS first binds the mismatch. MutL then helps identify which strand is the...

nucleotide excision repair

DNA Damage Repair by Excision

DNA damage repair by excision protects cells from mutagens that can change DNA. Exposure to environmental mutagens can create bulky lesions that bend the double helix or block transcription. If these changes are not repaired, they can lead to mutations and may contribute to cancer or disease, depending on which DNA sequences are affected. Nucleotide excision repair, or NER, is the process that detects and removes this kind of damage. Specialized proteins scan the DNA for a damaged region, then...

mutations

DNA Changes From Point Mutations to UV Damage

Mutations are changes in the DNA sequence. They can happen by chance during DNA copying, or they can be caused by environmental factors such as radiation and chemicals. Scientists also describe mutations by how much DNA they affect, how they change a protein, and whether they happen in body cells or germline cells. Some mutations affect only one nucleotide, which is a point mutation. When a point mutation falls inside a gene, the outcome depends on how the amino acid sequence changes. A silent...

transcription

Transcription and Gene Control

Transcription and gene control explain how cells make RNA from DNA and decide which genes are active. RNA polymerase copies a DNA sequence into RNA, and this is the first step in making a protein from a gene. Many other proteins and control sequences help make messenger RNA, or mRNA, correctly. In eukaryotes, the DNA is first copied into a primary RNA, also called pre-mRNA. This RNA can then be processed into mature mRNA, which serves as the template for protein synthesis. In prokaryotes such...

translation

Protein Synthesis and mRNA Decoding

Protein synthesis begins when ribosomes decode messenger RNA (mRNA) and build a chain of amino acids. This final step of gene expression is called translation. The finished chain is a polypeptide, which can later become a functional protein. Proteins are often called the building blocks of life because they make up much of the body, from muscle fibers to hairs and immune system parts. The instructions for each protein are encoded in genes found in the DNA of every cell. In biology, the central...

Bacterial transformation explains how DNA can move into bacteria and change their traits. Frederick Griffith first noticed this in 1928 while studying pneumonia-causing Streptococcus pneumoniae in mice. He compared one pathogenic strain with one non-pathogenic strain and found that only the pathogenic strain killed the host mice. Griffith made an unexpected discovery when he killed the pathogenic bacteria and mixed their remains with live, non-pathogenic bacteria. The mixture killed the mice,...

key terms and concepts

Learn how Griffith’s mouse experiment showed bacterial transformation and gave early evidence that DNA is the genetic material. Includes plasmids and lab cloning.

Griffith’s Mouse Experiment and DNA | JoVE K12

JoVE Core series brings biology to life through over 300 concise and easy-to-understand animated video lessons that explain key concepts in biology, plus more than 150 scientist-in-action videos that show actual research experiments conducted in today’s laboratories.

biology

new-jersey-student-learning-standards-for-science

New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science

High School

from-molecules-to-organisms-structures-and-processes

From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

HS-LS1-1

Arizona Science Standards

HS+B.L3

HS+B.L3U1.11

The DNA Helix

Overview

Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is the genetic material responsible for passing traits from generation to generation in all organisms and most ...

DNA Packaging

Overview

Eukaryotes have large genomes compared to prokaryotes. In order to fit their genomes into a cell, eukaryotes must pack their DNA tightly inside ...

Organization of Genes

Overview

The genomes of eukaryotes can be structured in several functional categories. A strand of DNA is comprised of genes and intergenic regions. ...

Replication in Prokaryotes

Overview

DNA replication has three main steps: initiation, elongation, and termination. Replication in prokaryotes begins when initiator proteins bind to ...

Replication in Eukaryotes

Overview

In eukaryotic cells, DNA replication is highly conserved and tightly regulated. Multiple linear chromosomes must be duplicated with high ...

Proofreading

Synthesis of new DNA molecules starts when DNA polymerase links nucleotides together in a sequence that is complementary to the template DNA strand. DNA ...

Mutations

Overview

Mutations are changes in the sequence of DNA. These changes can occur spontaneously or they can be induced by exposure to environmental factors. ...

Transcription

Overview
Transcription is the process of synthesizing RNA from a DNA sequence by RNA polymerase. It is the first step in producing a protein from a gene ...

Translation

Lesson: Translation
Translation is the process of synthesizing proteins from the genetic information carried by messenger RNA (mRNA). Following ...

In 1928, bacteriologist Frederick Griffith worked on a vaccine for pneumonia, which is caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. Griffith studied two ...

What is Gene Expression?

Overview
Gene expression is the process in which DNA&nbsp;directs the synthesis of functional products, that is, proteins. Cells can regulate gene ...

The Central Dogma

Overview

The central dogma of biology states that information encoded in the DNA is transferred to messenger RNA (mRNA), which then directs the synthesis ...

Transcription Factors

Tissue-specific transcription factors contribute to diverse cellular functions in mammals. For example, the gene for beta globin, a major component of ...

RNA Structure

Overview
The basic structure of RNA consists of a five-carbon sugar and one of four nitrogenous bases. Although most RNA is single-stranded, it can form ...

RNA Stability

Intact DNA strands can be found in fossils, while scientists sometimes struggle to keep RNA intact under laboratory conditions. The structural variations ...

Types of RNA

Overview
Three main types of RNA are involved in protein synthesis: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). These RNAs ...

MicroRNAs

MicroRNA (miRNA) are short, regulatory RNA transcribed from introns&mdash;non-coding regions of a gene&mdash;or intergenic regions&mdash;stretches of DNA ...

RNA Splicing

Splicing is the process by which eukaryotic RNA is edited before its translation into protein. The RNA strand transcribed from eukaryotic DNA is called ...

Epigenetic Regulation

Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like ...

RNA Interference

RNA interference (RNAi) is a process in which a small non-coding RNA molecule blocks the post-transcriptional expression of a gene by binding to its ...

Operons

Prokaryotes can control gene expression through operons&mdash;DNA sequences consisting of regulatory elements and clustered, functionally related ...

Proteins: From Genes to Degradation

The student will investigate and understand that organisms reproduce and transmit genetic information to new generations. Key ideas include DNA has a role in making proteins that determine organism traits;

What is Meiosis?

Meiosis is the process by which diploid cells divide to produce haploid daughter cells. In humans, each diploid cell contains 46 chromosomes, half from ...

Meiosis I

Meiosis is a carefully orchestrated set of cell divisions, the goal of which&#x2014;in humans&#x2014;is to produce haploid sperm or eggs, each containing ...

Meiosis II

Meiosis II is the second and final stage of meiosis. It relies on the haploid cells produced during meiosis I, each of which contain only 23 ...

Crossing Over

Unlike mitosis, meiosis aims for genetic diversity in its creation of haploid gametes. Dividing germ cells first begin this process in prophase I, where ...

Nondisjunction

During meiosis, chromosomes occasionally separate improperly. This occurs due to failure of homologous chromosome separation during meiosis I or failed ...

The student will investigate and understand that organisms reproduce and transmit genetic information to new generations. Key ideas include the role of meiosis is to transfer traits to the next generation; and

LS.10.b

Genetic Lingo

Overview

An organism is diploid if it inherits two variants, or alleles, of each gene, one from each parent. These two alleles constitute the genotype ...

Punnett Squares

Overview

A Punnett square displays the possible genotypes offspring can inherit from two parental genotypes. If a trait&#x2019;s inheritance pattern ...

Monohybrid Crosses

Overview

In the 1850s and 1860s, Gregor Mendel investigated inheritance by performing monohybrid crosses in pea plants. He crossed two plants that were ...

Dihybrid Crosses

Overview

To determine whether traits are inherited together or separately, Gregor Mendel crossed pea plants that differed in two traits. These parental ...

Law of Segregation

When crossing pea plants, Mendel noticed that one of the parental traits would sometimes disappear in the first generation of offspring, called the F1 ...

Law of Independent Assortment

While Mendel&#x2019;s Law of Segregation states that the two alleles for one gene are separated into different gametes, a different question of how ...

Test Cross

Alleles are different forms of the same gene. Humans and other diploid organisms inherit two alleles of every gene, one from each parent.

An allele is ...

Pedigree Analysis

Overview

A pedigree is a diagram displaying a family&#x2019;s history of a trait. Analyzing pedigrees can reveal (1) whether a trait is dominant or ...

X-linked Traits

In most mammalian species, females have two X sex chromosomes and males have an X and Y. As a result, mutations on the X chromosome in females may be ...

Sex-linked Disorders

Like autosomes, sex chromosomes contain a variety of genes necessary for normal body function. When a mutation in one of these genes results in biological ...

Nature and Nurture

Many human characteristics, like height, are shaped by both nature&mdash;in other words, by our genes&mdash;and by nurture, or our environment. For ...

The student will investigate and understand that organisms reproduce and transmit genetic information to new generations. Key ideas include Punnett squares are mathematical models used to predict the probability of traits in offspring.

LS.10.c

Griffith’s Mouse Experiment and DNA

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