Griffith showed that when mice were injected with a mixture of living avirulent bacteria are mixed with heat-killed virulent cells, the mice developed pneumonia and died, and living virulent bacteria were recovered from the blood. The avirulent bacteria had been transformed into virulent ones.
  • Why did Griffith not recover avirulent bacteria from the dead mice? + The avirulent bacteria were destroyed by phagocytic cells in the host's immune system. However, a small % were transformed; these multiplied and eventually killed the host.