Question

Imagine that you travelled back in time to the early 1940s. You meet a group of scientists, and tell them that DNA is the hereditary material. Why might the scientists refute your statement?

Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button.

DNA is linear and appears relatively "simple."

DNA does not appear to (directly) carry out many cellular functions.

Proteins can have intricate three-dimensional structures.

Proteins are integral parts of many cellular processes.

All of these choices are correct.

Answer 1

All of these choices are correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

Before the discovery of DNA as genetic material, proteins were considered to be the biomolecules that store genetic information. Proteins are present in all the cells. They are present in the form of complex secondary and tertiary structures. Proteins are involved in almost all cellular processes in the form of enzymes. Proteins present in the cell determine the phenotype of organisms. Therefore, the complex structures of proteins were supposed to be the carrier of the genetic information.

On the other hand, the linear structure of DNA was considered to be too simple to serve as a carrier of genetic information. Also, DNA molecules do not directly determine the phenotype and are not directly involved in a number of cellular processes. So, DNA was not considered to be a molecule to serve as genetic material in the early 1940s.