In the late 1940s, the ambition of the young scientist, Francis Crick, in discovering the secret of life started as soon as he began working with X-ray crystallography during the time he was at Cambridge University.1 In the early 1950s, a young American post-doctoral student with the name of James Watson collaborated with Francis Crick to investigate the DNA molecule. The two scientists badly wanted to find out the structure of the molecule and how it worked, because they thought that if they understood the mysteries of DNA, that could help solve many questions in science, including the one that Watson had: is the DNA molecule the reason for genetic inheritance? Is DNA responsible for passing traits on to an offspring? Therefore, during the 1950s, Watson and Crick began their investigation into this phenomenon of genetic inheritance at Cambridge University.2
Meanwhile, in London at King’s College, Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins were performing an investigation studying DNA by using the X-ray crystallography technique, which consists of beaming the X-ray through the DNA molecule, creating a crystalline sample. Franklin’s work on DNA clearly was the missing piece to the completion of Watson and Crick´s research into the nucleic acid—the DNA double-helical structure. The first image of DNA was taken in the early 1950s from the work of Rosalind Franklin and was crucial for the discovery of the Watson-Crick structure. The image of the DNA, named “photo 51,” showed the molecule in the form of an “X”, which was a remarkably important clue for Watson and Crick in their discovery of the double-helix structure.3
Watson and Crick were leading the race for the discovery of the DNA molecular structure and composition, among other groups of researchers. Watson and Crick were convinced that if they succeeded in finding the secrets of the DNA molecule (the structure of DNA), then the deoxyribonucleic acid role in heredity would be revealed and other questions in biology and biomedicine would be answered.
In 1886, the Monk Gregor Mendel had discovered the real biological genetic inheritance, which he named Mendelian Inheritance, a process that consists of passing traits from two parents to an offspring.4 However, he didn’t know why those traits were passed on from generation to generation, nor did he know what the genes were composed of. After the Mendel Inheritance Model, many scientists, including James Watson, wondered what allowed this phenomenon (passing traits from generation to generation) to happen. It wasn’t until 1943 when researcher Oswald Avery proved that a particular nucleic acid, known as DNA, was the carrier of genetic information, and so the crucial role of DNA in determining genetic inheritance was exposed. Unfortunately, no scientist knew how this process worked until the early 1950s, when Francis Crick and James Watson started looking for answers.
Natural scientists by the 1850s already knew that DNA was composed of chemical components consisting of phosphate, carbon sugar, and a nitrogenous base, including four amino acids (adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine).5 However, the structure was not yet established, so the information about the chemical components that composed DNA were very efficient for Watson and Crick, since their research consisted more on analyzing and collecting data that already existed rather than experimenting in the lab. Thus, they put all the relevant information together until they finally found the DNA structure.
But it was not until the year 1953 that James Watson and Francis Crick could announce their model of DNA’s double helix while they were in England, hanging out in a famous pub among researchers called The Eagle. Crick told each of the guys in the pub, “We have found the secret of life.”6
Indeed! Crick and Watson found the secret of, and they constructed a structure of, the molecular model which represented the now-known chemical and physical properties of the DNA.7 In this manner, solving the pulse of the molecular structure of DNA steered Watson and Crick to the right direction for the answer to their biggest question—is the DNA molecule the reason for genetic inheritance?
In fact, Crick and Watson found that DNA is the main reason for genetic inheritance; ultimately, the genetic material that is transmitted from a parent to an offspring is located in the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in the nucleus of the cells.8 The discovery of DNA´s double-helical structure has had an enormous impact on the fields of biology and biomedicine research. James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins were awarded with the Nobel Prize in Medicine in the year 1962. Sadly, the researcher Rosalind Franklin did not receive this prize regardless of her contribution to this discovery.
- Michael Thomas, “Watson and Crick: The Discovery of the DNA Structure,” April 2018, StMU History Media, https://stmuhistorymedia.org/watson-and-crick-the-discovery-of-the-dna-structure/. ↵
- The Gale Encyclopedia of Science, 2004, s.v. “Double Helix.” ↵
- Shirley Chan and Susan Conova, “The DNA molecule is shaped like a twisted ladder,” 2011, DNA from the beginning (website), http://www.dnaftb.org/19/bio-3.html. ↵
- James Morris et al., Biology: How Life Works (New York: Macmillan Learning, 2016), 55. ↵
- Salem Press Encyclopedia, 2019, s.v. “Watson and Crick Announce the Double-Helix Model for DNA,” by Martha A. Sherwood. ↵
- Edward J. Larson, “Wonderful Life: Debating Evolution in the Age of DNA,” Virginia Quarterly Review, 2004. ↵
- Leslie Pray, “Discovery of DNA structure and function: Watson and Crick,” 2008 Nature Education, https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/discovery-of-dna-structure-and-function-watson-397/. ↵
- Judith S. Baughman, Victor Bondi, Richard Layman, Tandy McConnell, and Vincent Tompkins, eds., American Decades (Gale: eBooks, 2001), 411. ↵
30 comments
Thiffany Yeupell
The discovery of the structure of DNA is greatly appreciated, as it proves to be an essential foundation for many sciences to continue their research that delves into the biology of the organisms that inhabit the earth today. Without the fervor of Crick and Watson, and the contributing pieces of Rosalind Franklin, the progress of modern science may have been delayed until its eventual discovery, should somebody else take the mantle of attempting to find some of the answers that have escaped scientists many times.
Alondra Lozano
This was an interesting article! I remember learning in my biology class about DNA, the double helix structure, and how it was passed down from generations. It is so interesting how we as humans are helping each other out without even knowing until everything comes together, how it did with Crick, Watson, and Rosalind Franklin, but not everyone gets recognized for it.
Kendall Guajardo
This was a very enlightening story. Watson and Crick had immense passion for finding the link between DNA and genetic inheritance and they even solved the puzzle that Rosalinda and Maurice began. This discovery was the foundation to many more questions that needed answers involving DNA. I understand that Watson and Crick had a concrete discovery but I wonder if they ever credited there predecessors for helping them in this journey.
Andrea Degollado
This was a very interesting and informative article. DNA, of course, is a huge part of who we are. Crick and Watsons discovery opened the doors for many future scientist to com. This discovery was an essential foundation of many other discoveries we have today. However I did find it saddening that even though Raslind Franklin contributed to this discovery she was not awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine.
Estefanie Santiago Roman
This was such an interesting article! DNA is a big part of who we are, and with Crick and Watson making this long discovery, it really makes things a little easier as to answering the question of what makes us individual. It is truly fascinating how important DNA is to modern science, but what is more fascinating is how long it took for most components of DNA to be connected. This article did a good job of taking us down the time line of the discovery of DNA.
Eliane Castorena
This is a very interesting article. I remember learning in depth about DNA and its chemical and physical properties as a freshman in high school, but it is very interesting to learn the history behind how we know now that DNA is the main reason for genetic inheritance. Crick and Watson’s discovery opened many doors of research for future scientists. However it is disappointing to hear that although Rosalind Franklin contributed to the discovery she was not awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine.
Kennedy Arcos
Being a biology major, the title of this article sparked my interest immediately. This article was great and it was very informative on the history behind the discovery of DNA. It’s honestly crazy to think that the DNA structure was discovered only decades ago! This discovery was the foundation for many more advances in biology seen today. I also enjoyed reading about how past discoveries also lead to this discovery.
Arsema Abera
I remember this lesson being thought in highschool biology, though the history of them wasn’t mentioned in that course this article does a great job in explaining the history part it. Thanks to these amazing people who have made a breakthrough in the science realms and innovation we have managed to solve so many crimes, so many problems in our lives and we should always be grateful for their work.
Anthony Coronado
What an interesting article, in high school we mostly discussed about Gregor Mendel in our Forensic Science class. Just by the huge concept of passing down dominant traits through genetics. We did briefly go over the double helix shape and chemical make up of that is what DNA makeup, with mentioning the founders Crick and Watson. This a cool article, through the story narrative of scientific discoveries that helped fuel the background of the article.
Genesis Moro Otero
As a Forensic Science major, I found this article super interesting. I remember learning in biology class about Crick and Watson’s discovery. I am still shocked on how DNA’s double helical structure was only discovered a couple of decades ago. The steps it took to discover the structure and composition took time and commitment, which is a very admirable thing.