ABSTRACT
This chapter describes one of the most significant but underrated discoveries in biomedical science, the finding that within DNA lies the genetic material that is passed on from generation to generation. Herein is the story of astute initial observations made by Fred Griffith, who noticed that some principle material derived from dead virulent strains of Pneumococcal bacteria could transform non-virulent strains into virulent ones. Sixteen years later, Oswald Avery built on the studies of Griffith and demonstrated that DNA is the transforming principle, thus revolutionizing modern biomedical science. It is emphasized within the chapter that both medically oriented researchers such as Griffith, who intended to make vaccines against Pneumococcal bacteria, and basic researchers like Oswald Avery played essential roles in the groundbreaking discovery that DNA serves as the hereditary material of the cell.
