Dna Can Genetically Transform Cells

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was first described by Friedrich Miescher in 1869, only four years after Mendel’s work was published. But it took over 80 years for its role as the genetic material of most organisms to become firmly established. DNA was first characterized as acid-precipitable material from the cell nuclei of pus and fish sperm. The proportion of nitrogen and phosphorus was very unusual compared to other known organic substances, convincing Miescher he had discovered a new biological substance. He called it nuclein, because it was associated exclusively with the nucleus. Further work demonstrated that nuclein is a complex of protein and DNA.