In 1928, Frederick Griffith conducted an experiment in which he injected mice with different kinds of bacteria. When bacteria that cause disease (pathogenic) were injected in healthy mice, these mice got sick and died. Other types of bacteria (nonpathogenic) did not cause the mice to die. Griffith took the DNA from dead pathogenic bacteria and transferred it into living nonpathogenic bacteria. These altered bacteria were then injected into healthy mice. The mice died of the same disease caused by the pathogenic bacteria. Based on this information, which statement would be a valid conclusion?

a) When an organism dies, the DNA changes; it no longer provides the same genetic information.
b) When DNA from one organism is transferred to another organism, the DNA no longer functions.
c) DNA in different types of bacteria carries exactly the same type of information.
d) When DNA from one organism is transferred to another organism, it can give new traits to the second organism.