The molecule now known as DNA was first identified in the late 1860s by Friedrich Miescher, a Swiss chemist. He discovered DNA while studying the chemical composition of white blood cells. Miescher called the substance he discovered "nuclein," and it wasn't until the early 20th century that scientists realized that nuclein was the molecule responsible for carrying genetic information.
While Miescher discovered DNA, James Watson and Francis Crick are credited with discovering the double helix structure of DNA in 1953. Their work, which was based on X-ray diffraction images taken by Rosalind Franklin, revolutionized our understanding of genetics and paved the way for modern molecular biology.
Rosalind Franklin's contributions to the discovery of DNA's structure are often overlooked. She was a brilliant scientist who used X-ray crystallography to produce high-quality images of DNA. Her images were crucial to Watson and Crick's understanding of the molecule's structure.
However, it is important to acknowledge that the discovery of DNA was a collaborative effort, with many scientists contributing to our understanding of this fundamental molecule.
