James Watson and Francis Crick utilized the work and evidence of many different scientists in order to come to their final conclusion as to the structure of DNA; greatly using the work of Maurice Wilkins, Rosalind Franklin, and Linus Pauling.
The first time Watson is truly introduced to the world of X-ray diffraction pictures of DNA was when attending a lecture held by Wilkins. From this, he learns that genes are able to crystallize, so they therefore must have a regular and repeating structure (33). After having Pauling’s model for polypeptides described to him, Watson initially thought that DNA would be found to be an alpha helix, meaning that there would only be one peptide chain holding it together. However, it was soon determined that
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Crick and Cochran both completed calculations for the mathematics of the DNA structure, and by confirming their calculations, determined that both Linus’ model for polypeptides and their theory were correct (66-67). Then, with that information, Crick concluded that there were only a small number of solutions that lined up with both the Cochran-Crick theory and Rosy’s data. In knowing that the X-ray data showed that there was 2, 3, or 4 polynucleotide chains, they then only had to determine the angle and radius of the DNA strand (77). Further evidence showed that the backbone of DNA had to be sugar-phosphate in order to produce the crystalline diffraction patterns seen by Maurice and Rosy, and confirmed that there must be more than one chain in DNA due to the forces which were holding the chains together (80)(88). Then having to shift their focus to other work while secretly still aiding in their hunt for the structure of DNA, the used evidence of bacterial infection in a phage being caused by the injection of viral DNA, which was found via phage …show more content…
With the knowledge of J.M. Gulland and D. O. Jordan’s papers on acid base titrations of DNA, Watson knew that bases form hydrogen bonds to other hydrogens, and that these bonds were present in DNA (183). Watson then thought that DNA had 2 chains with identical base sequences held together with hydrogen bonds, but struggled with figuring out if replication would work perfectly indefinitely, as the wrong bases could bind together (184-188). However, this model was soon found to be incorrect, as thymine and guanine were in enol form in Watson’s model, but should have actually been in keto form (190). Then, with this error found, Watson began rearranging the bases within DNA to see if there were any formations that would not disrupt the structure of the polynucleotide chains as previous models had. After rearranging the bases, Watson discovered that A+T pairs with 2 hydrogen bonds and C+G pairs with at least 2 hydrogen bonds were the same shape, and thus did not bend the chains in a way that was not mathematically possible.
invincible. For though there are many of them likely, yet they were not certain. It might be sundry of the things feared might never befall; others by provident care
The molecule consisted of a double helix with phosphates, deoxyribose sugar molecules, and nitrogenous bases. If the spirals were split, the DNA could replicate, which explained why genes were transferred from parents to their children. Additionally, the order of compounds on the DNA indicated that there was a unique ‘code’ on each strand. Watson and Crick believed that this ‘code’ was translated into specific proteins. , ,
Benjamin Franklin’s inventions were as revolutionary as the century itself. Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston, Massachusetts January 17, 1706. Franklin grew up to be a great man who would help greatly in the creation of our nation. Although Ben Franklin is greatly known, not much attention is put into his great inventions; the Franklin stove, bifocals, and the mapping of the Gulf Stream where some of his inventions. Franklin’s inventions all had different impacts on the lives of people.
	Rosalind Franklin lived during an exciting and turbulent era both socially and scientifically. Upon passing the admission examination for Cambridge University in 1938, at fifteen, Franklin was was informed by her affluent family that she would not recieve financial support. Franklin¡¯s father disapproved of women receiving college educations, however, both Franklin¡¯s aunt and mother supported her quest for education. Eventually, her father gave in and agreed to pay her tuition. Franklin would later prove to be worth her education.
"The discovery of the structure by Crick and Watson, with all its biological implications, has been one of the major scientific events of this century." (Bragg, The Double Helix, p1) In the story of The Double Helix, James Watson tells of the road that led to the discovery of life's basic building block-DNA. This autobiography gives insight into science and the workings within a professional research laboratory that few members of society will ever be able to experience. It also gives the reader an idea of the reality of life for one scientist and how he struggled with the problem of DNA. However, the author's style is marked by his lack of objectivity and inclusion of many biased opinions and personal prejudices.
Rosalind Franklin was born in 1920 in London, England to an influential Jewish family who prided themselves in their service to the public. She was one of five children to Ellis and Muriel Franklin. Her father had desired to become a scientist, but World War I had prevented him and instead he followed in the family business of merchant banking. His daughter, however, had decided to devote herself to science and scientific study when she was fifteen.
James D. Watson is a molecular biologist, geneticist and zoologist. He is well known as one of the two men who discovered DNA. The other man who helped discover DNA is Francis Crick. Francis is a biologist, neurologist and a biophysicist.
The Double Helix was written by James D. Watson. James Dewey Watson was born on April 6th, 1928, in Chicago Illinois. He was a precocious student, and entered the University of Chicago when he was only 15. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in zoology four years later, and then went on to earn a Ph.D. in the same subject at Indiana University. Watson Joined Francis Crick at Cambridge in 1951, in an attempt to determine the chemical structure of living matter. They continued their work until February 28, 1954 when they made a historic discovery. They had determined the structure of DNA. In June they published their findings in the British science journal Nature. In acknowledgment, Francis Crick and James Watson shared the 1962 Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine. The discovery of the structure of the molecule deoxyribonucleic acid led James Watson to write the personal account of how the structure of DNA was discovered. He wrote the book to give people an honest, accurate account that would include the bad along with the good aspects of how science is done and to give people a sense of how competitive it is in the world of science.
James Watson, the co-discoverer of DNA, believes it to be the responsibility of science to address the
Tsou, J. A., Hagen, J. A., Carpenter, C. L., & Laird-Offringa, I. A. (2002, August 05). DNA
As hard as is it is today for women to succeed in the sciences, one must give kudos to those that came before us. These are the women that paved the way for today's generation of women scientists. One such woman is Rosalind Elsie Franklin, a chemist who had a great impact on the modern day field of genetics.
In his autobiography on the discovery of the double helix, James D. Watson describes the process that he and Francis Crick took on in order to make the revolutionary discovery of the basic building block of the natural world, DNA. After reading, my perspective has changed in the following ways: I now understand the research, competition, and exhaustion that went into the discovery, I understand how truly groundbreaking a discovery it was, and how it changed the sciences of biology and chemistry for the better. In the past, DNA was just a subject in my biology classes that we referred to when we were talking about seemingly more important topics, specifically genetics. However, I never fully understood the measures taken to achieve the knowledge
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is a self-replicating molecule or material present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent in chromosomes. It encodes the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms and many viruses. Simply put, DNA contains the instructions needed for an organism to develop, survive and reproduce. The discovery and use of DNA has seen many changes and made great progress over many years. James Watson was a pioneer molecular biologist who is credited, along with Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins, with discovering the double helix structure of the DNA molecule. The three won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1962 for their work (Bagley, 2013). Scientist use the term “double helix” to describe DNA’s winding, two-stranded chemical structure. This shape looks much like a twisted ladder and gives the DNA the power to pass along biological instructions with great precision.
The Double Helix tells a tale of fierce competition, perseverance, and scientific innovation as we follow James Watson and his cohort Francis Crick on their quest to discover the secret to life, the structure of deoxyribonucleic acid. Although already fascinated with DNA, Watson struggled with finding chemistry exciting enough to learn it in depth. He had studied birds in college and thereby managed to avoid any formal chemistry or physics courses. As he later pursued a PhD in biochemistry, he realized he could put it off no longer and attempted to learn organic chemistry at Indiana University. However, after a mishap in the lab, he was encouraged instead to study nucleic acid chemistry with Herman Kalckar in Copenhagen. There, his mind strayed from his work and he began doing unauthorized research in the lab of Ole Maaløe, studying phages. Herman stopped teaching Watson after going through a divorce with his wife, and sent Watson off to a scientific conference in Naples. Although he was bored by many of the lectures, Maurice Wilkins’s talk about X-ray diffraction fascinated Watson. He was struck by an X-ray diffraction picture of DNA that Maurice presented and was determined to study the acid. He later got to know more about Maurice’s colleague, Rosalind Franklin, who was proud, stubborn, and very difficult to work with. Watson greatly admired the lecture given by the renowned Linus Pauling, who had discovered the structure of the alpha-helix and was thought of as the leader in DNA research in the scientific world.
...f the structure of DNA by James Watson and Francis Crick in 1953 that was extremely influential for future researchers. They determined that DNA was a double helix structure composed of base pairings, with a sugar phosphate backbone. This model explained how “genes can duplicate themselves [and] would eventually lead to our current understanding of many things, from genetic disease to genetic engineering” (Salem).