James Watson and Francis Crick are technically the ones who discovered the structure, and are given credit. However, multiple people played crucial roles in this finding, including Rosalind Franklin.
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English researchers Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins, contributed to Watson and Crick's derivation of the three-dimensional, double-helical model for the structure of DNA. You can see that there more than just Watson and Crick.
Watson and Crick's discovery was also made possible by recent advances in model building, or the assembly of possible three-dimensional structures based upon known molecular distances and bond angles, a technique advanced by American biochemist Linus Pauling.
Using cardboard cutouts representing the individual chemical components of the four bases and other nucleotide subunits, Watson and Crick shifted molecules around on their desktops, as though putting together a puzzle.
James Watson and Francis Crick are credited with discovering the double helix structure of DNA in 1953 while working together at the University of Cambridge.
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek is credited with first discovering bacteria in the 17th century using a simple microscope. He observed single-celled organisms in dental plaque and other samples, making him the first to document the existence of bacteria.
Watson and Crick were credited for discovering the structure of DNA because they were the first to propose the double helix structure of DNA in 1953, which was based on X-ray diffraction data collected by Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins. Their model provided a comprehensive explanation of how genetic information is stored and transferred in living organisms.
James Watson and Francis Crick.
German chemist Andreas Sigismund Marggraf is normally given credit for discovering pure metallic zinc in 1746
Watson and Crick were credited with the discovery of DNA structure because they successfully proposed the double helix structure model of DNA in 1953, which has since been confirmed as accurate. Their model explained how genetic information is stored and replicated, revolutionizing our understanding of genetics and molecular biology.