Martha Chase And Hershey's Experiments

Martha Chase was an American Geneticist who was born in Cleveland, Ohio and was famously known for her and her ally Alfred Day Hershey’s landmark experiment in genetics proving that DNA is genetic material. Her experiment was using radioactive tracers to mark the DNA core and the protein coat of a phage called bacteriophage, or bacterial virus. Her and Alfred placed the material into a blender and turned on the switch which resulted in the scientists discovering that the blender had separated the DNA and the protein, an examination showed that only the DNA had entered the bacteria when infection was occurring. This experiment concluded that the protein played a role in adsorption to the bacteria helped inject the viral DNA into the bacteria cell. Chase and Hershey’s experiments became an example of what Hershey’s friend’s and colleagues called “Hershey Heaven”. Martha Chase as stated before was born in Cleveland, Ohio . Chase earned her bachelors degree from the College of Wooster in 1950. Later on, she got her doctoral degree from the University of Southern California in 1964. Martha got married and changed her name to Martha C. Epstein the C standing for Cowles, and she later returned to Cleveland Heights, Ohio where she lived with her father Samuel W. …show more content…
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