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What would be the expected outcome of Griffith's experiment if transformation did not occur, and the mouse was injected with only live R (non-virulent) cells and heat-killed S (virulent) cells of Streptococcus pneumoniae?

a) The mouse would survive, and only live R cells would be isolated.

b) The mouse would die, and only live R cells would be isolated.

c) The mouse would survive, and only heat-killed S cells would be isolated.

d) The mouse would die, and only heat-killed S cells would be isolated.

User Qiau
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Final answer:

If transformation did not occur in Griffith's experiment with the injection of live R and heat-killed S cells, the mouse would survive and only live R cells would be isolated.

Step-by-step explanation:

The expected outcome of Griffith's experiment if transformation did not occur, and the mouse was injected with only live R (non-virulent) cells and heat-killed S (virulent) cells of Streptococcus pneumoniae, would be that the mouse would survive. This is because the live R cells alone cannot cause pneumonia, and the heat-killed S cells are not capable of causing infection, since they are no longer viable. In absence of transformation, the R cells would not acquire the virulence factors from the S cells necessary to cause a lethal infection. Therefore, the correct answer is:

a) The mouse would survive, and only live R cells would be isolated.

User Alexander Popov
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