Protease

Ribonuclease

Deoxyribonuclease

Lipase

DNA

Polysaccharide Capsule

RNA

None

Radioactive sulfur ($^{35}S$) was found inside the bacteria.

Radioactive phosphorus ($^{32}P$) remained outside the bacteria.

Both radioactive sulfur ($^{35}S$) and phosphorus ($^{32}P$) were found inside the bacteria.

Radioactive phosphorus ($^{32}P$) was found inside the bacteria.

Sulfur is a component of both DNA and protein

Sulfur is a component of proteins but not DNA

Sulfur is easily detectable in bacterial cells

Sulfur is a common component of bacterial cell walls

DNA

Polysaccharide Capsule

RNA

None

It is composed of protein.

It can change the characteristics of bacteria.

It can be passed from one generation of bacteria to the next.

It was later identified as DNA.

Observing bacterial transformation using purified protein extracts

Analyzing the chemical composition of chromosomes

Radioactively labeling phage DNA and protein to track their fate during infection

Studying the inheritance patterns of mutant bacteria

Griffith's experiment with Streptococcus pneumoniae

Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty's experiment with bacterial transformation

Hershey-Chase experiment using bacteriophages

Meselson-Stahl experiment demonstrating semi-conservative replication

Able to replicate accurately

Chemically and structurally stable

Must be easily degradable

Scope for slow changes (mutations)