“The Double Helix: A personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA” was a very interesting read. This book was written by Dr. James D. Watson and was first published in 1968, it is an autobiography of how scientist Dr. Watson and Crick fully understand DNA. Dr. James D. Watson was born April 6, 1928 in Chicago, Illinois where he attended Horace Mann Grammar School followed by South Shore High School. At the age of 15 Watson, received a scholarship to the University of Chicago where he received his Bachelors of Science in Zoology; in 1950, he attended Indiana University where he then received his Ph.D. in Zoology. It was during Watsons graduate studies where he worked on X-rays on bacteriophage multiplication with geneticist T.M. …show more content…
Watson at that point made two critical estimates: initially, that the helical structure was double helix and second, that its backbone was outside. Watson and Crick started to work on the model again as word came from the United States that Pauling had tackled the problem and planned to present his discoveries to the world. This pushed Watson and Crick to work even harder, the two begin to search for Peter Pauling work. The two discovered that he made an error similar to them when trying to understand the structure of DNA. After putting the pieces together Watson and Crick finally discovered DNA’s structure. The major themes of this book revolved around the personal and professional relationship between scientist and how the two can both help and hinder the scientific process. It also represents a unique approach to scientific history by relating the main characters personal views instead of an objective reporting of the facts. It is considered an extremely controversial book, both for its subjective viewpoint and its prejudice, particularly in regard to Rosalind Franklin, who was undermined and disrespected because of her
James Watson: He can be seen as someone who is quick to judge, somewhat condescending, yet intelligent, suave, and dedicated to his work.
Ted Bieler’s Helix of Life (1971) that is located outside the Medical Sciences building at University of Toronto is a sculpture made from a light grey concrete material. Its color appears to be plain which happens to match the exterior of the Medical Sciences building as well. Due to the age of the sculpture, it shows lighter and darker gray dents and streaks near the top and bottom and where it bends. Some of the markings have been made from the material and texture of the sculpture. The material used, which was said previously, is cast concrete. Using concrete without any smooth surface tools creates a rougher and coarse texture which is why it has dents and holes when viewing it up close. As the viewer looks at the sculpture from afar, its
With a competitive spirit, people are driven to act in ways that they would not otherwise and the results can be drastic. In the case of James D. Watson and Francis Crick, in Watson’s novel the Double Helix, this sensation of competition leads to one of the greatest discoveries in biology. But the actions of Watson, Crick, and their competitors may or may not be justified for the results that they yield; the powerful conflict of rivalry has beneficial, detrimental, and questionably moral consequences that shaped the pathway to DNA’s structure.
The book Rosalind Franklin and DNA is a biography of Rosalind Franklin written by a British journalist and close friend of hers, Anne Sayre to reveal the true personality of Rosalind Franklin in contradiction to the fallacious character portrayed by James Watson in his personal account of The Double Helix. This book was undertaken to refute Franklin’s distorted portrait from abnormal feminist into rational, perfectionist and talented ‘women’ scientist. She begins by introducing her strong background, curious childhood, dedicated education, generous nature and most importantly how she was brought up in a favorable environment of distinctive Angelo-Jewish family, who identified and cultivated her talents and developed her in a person with full capacity for commitment. In this book, despite admiring the geniuses of Watson in depicting and picking out small information, connecting points and the kind of abilities he possessed was perfectly factitive with Crick that Rosalind and Gosling lacked however, she constantly tries to put the Rosalind’s side of story in picture which she believes was minimized in The Double Helix by Watson and correct her character that distorted in public eye.
Genome: The Autobiography of A Species in 23 Chapters by Matt Ridley is an interesting book. It is written in a style that is very casual and very understandable. If someone who knew nothing about genetics or biology were to read this book, they would find it very interesting and informative. Ridley uses basic scientific terms so as not to confuse the average reader.
How Watson and Crick’s Discovery of the Structure of DNA Influenced American Industries and Scientific Development in the United States
	X-ray crystallography helped determined the three dimensional structure of DNA when Franklin returned to England. She became the first person to find the molecule¡¯s sugar-phosphate backbone while working with a team of scientists at King¡¯s College in London. Unfortunately, leadership misunderstandings and personality conflicts depreciated Franklin¡¯s effectivness in the laboratory. Maurice Wilkins, the laboratory¡¯s second in command, returned from a vacation expecting Franklin to work under him. Franklin came to the laboratory with the understanding that she would be researching alone. While Franklin was direct and decisive, Wilkins tended to be alluding and passive-aggressive. As Franklin made further advances in DNA research, Wilkins secretly shared her findings with the famous duo of Watson and Crick, who were then working at Cambridge. Franklin¡¯s discoveries fueled their research machine, allowing them to advance beyond others in the field. They would eventually publish on DNA structure in 1953. Due to discriminatory procedures at King¡¯s College, Franklin eventually left to become the lead researcher at London¡¯s Birbeck College--upon agreeing not to work on DNA. She furthered her studies in coal and made significant advances in virology. Franklin died in 1958 of ovarian cancer. She lived 37 monumentally significant years.
When you are building something you would most likely use a blueprint. A blueprint is the instructions to help the builder build his creation. DNA is like a blueprint for your body. DNA is like instructions to help you grow, survive, and reproduce. And thanks to James D. Watson’s discovery it revealed the understanding of living things in the means of structure and interaction molecules. Watson’s said in quote “It is necessary to be slightly underemployed if you want to do something significant.” James D. Watson was born in Chicago, Illinois on April 6, 1928. Watson is an intelligent and gifted man and helped discover the structure of DNA; his scientific knowledge as an American molecular biologist, zoologist, and geneticist attributed to his success
"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.
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.
James Watson, the co-discoverer of DNA, believes it to be the responsibility of science to address the
Discoveries in DNA, cell biology, evolution, and biotechnology have been among the major achievements in biology over the past 200 years with accelerated discoveries and insight’s over the last 50 years. Consider the progress we have made in these areas of human knowledge. Present at least three of the discoveries you find to be the most important and describe their significance to society, heath, and the culture of modern life.
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.
Chinua Achebe's Arrow of God is set in the 1920's, before secularism became dominant. It begins with the image of a mask, when he tells his son not to carve the mask of a god for the white man. The mask is a symbol of change. The whole world is changing, and the people who do not change will not survive. The old priest, Ezeulu, desires change, but he cannot do it. He cannot force himself to leave the old ways behind and adopt the new ways. Thus, he sends one of his sons to learn from the white man. He cannot do it himself.
...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).