Before the discovery of DNA, why was the hereditary material thought to be made of proteins and not nucleic acids?

Question

Before the discovery of DNA, why was the hereditary material thought to be made of proteins and not nucleic acids? (A) Nucleic acids are made up of 20 different bases, while proteins are made up of only 5 amino acids. (B) Protein subunits can combine to form larger proteins (C) Proteins seemed to be much more diverse chemically (D) Proteins can be enzymes

Tardigrade Admin · Accepted Answer

Correct answer is (c) Proteins seemed to be much more diverse chemically

Q. Before the discovery of $D N A$ , why was the hereditary material thought to be made of proteins and not nucleic acids?

Nucleic acids are made up of $20$ different bases, while proteins are made up of only $5$ amino acids.

Protein subunits can combine to form larger proteins

Proteins seemed to be much more diverse chemically

Proteins can be enzymes

Correct answer is (c) Proteins seemed to be much more diverse chemically

Q. Before the discovery of DNA, why was the hereditary material thought to be made of proteins and not nucleic acids?

Nucleic acids are made up of 20 different bases, while proteins are made up of only 5 amino acids.

Protein subunits can combine to form larger proteins

Proteins seemed to be much more diverse chemically

Proteins can be enzymes

Correct answer is (c) Proteins seemed to be much more diverse chemically

Q. Before the discovery of $D N A$ , why was the hereditary material thought to be made of proteins and not nucleic acids?

Nucleic acids are made up of $20$ different bases, while proteins are made up of only $5$ amino acids.