Discovery of the structure of Dna
Rosalind Franklin
An influential female scientist, in the early 1950s Franklin's X-ray diffraction patterns were known for their accuracy, clarity, and beauty. She was an expert in her field because of her strong chemistry background and insight into what the diffraction patterns meant. Working with Maurice Wilkins, she crystallized samples of the DNA nucleic acid, then utilized relatively strong X-rays to generate the clear pattern. This was key for this particular molecule because its complex structure created a blurry pattern unless the radiation was sufficiently strong. However, to take this photo, over 100 hours of exposure time to X-rays were needed, during which time any vibrations or disturbances would create a blurry and difficult-to-understand photo.
Watson and Crick
James Watson and Francis Crick worked to develop a model for DNA, a molecule that was more difficult to understand because of its double helix structure and antiparallel strands. The X-ray diffraction pattern had to be clear, like Rosalind's, for this to be detected. Although Watson and Crick were originally greeted with incredulity at their idea, eventually it became proven with more research until it was fully accepted by the scientific community.
An influential female scientist, in the early 1950s Franklin's X-ray diffraction patterns were known for their accuracy, clarity, and beauty. She was an expert in her field because of her strong chemistry background and insight into what the diffraction patterns meant. Working with Maurice Wilkins, she crystallized samples of the DNA nucleic acid, then utilized relatively strong X-rays to generate the clear pattern. This was key for this particular molecule because its complex structure created a blurry pattern unless the radiation was sufficiently strong. However, to take this photo, over 100 hours of exposure time to X-rays were needed, during which time any vibrations or disturbances would create a blurry and difficult-to-understand photo.
Watson and Crick
James Watson and Francis Crick worked to develop a model for DNA, a molecule that was more difficult to understand because of its double helix structure and antiparallel strands. The X-ray diffraction pattern had to be clear, like Rosalind's, for this to be detected. Although Watson and Crick were originally greeted with incredulity at their idea, eventually it became proven with more research until it was fully accepted by the scientific community.