The Double Helix Summary

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“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

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