Final answer:
The discovery that DNA is the genetic material was a significant milestone in biology. It took many scientists undertaking creative experiments over several decades to show with certainty that DNA is the molecule that determines the traits of organisms.
Step-by-step explanation:
The discovery that DNA is the genetic material was a significant milestone in biology. It took many scientists undertaking creative experiments over several decades to show with certainty that DNA is the molecule that determines the traits of organisms.
This research began in the early part of the 20th century. One important experiment was conducted by Griffith in the 1920s, where he transformed strains of bacteria and provided the first clue that DNA is the universal molecule of heredity. This was later supported by the work of Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty.