Whose work revealed the double helix of DNA?
Quick Answer
James Watson and Francis Crick described DNA double helix in 1953, drawing crucially on Rosalind Franklin X-ray images.
The Full Story
In 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick published their model of DNA as a double helix — two strands twisted around each other like a spiral ladder. Their breakthrough relied heavily on the X-ray diffraction images produced by Rosalind Franklin, whose contribution was long under-recognised. Understanding this structure revealed how genetic information is stored and copied, launching the era of modern molecular biology and genetics. Watson, Crick, and Maurice Wilkins received the Nobel Prize in 1962; Franklin had died by then.
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