Major Events in the Discovery of the Structure of the DNA Molecule

By bec1212

  • Discovery of Nucleic Acids

    Source Physician and biologist Freidrich Miescher, for the first time, isolates and identifies nucleic acids. NB: Couldn't find exact date, only year.

  • Base, sugar and phosphate

    Source Phoebus Levene identified the base, sugar and phosphate nucleotide unit. She suggested that DNA consisted of a string of nucleotide units linked together through the phosphate groups.

  • Giant hereditary molecule

    Source Kolstov proposed that inherited traits would be inherited via a "giant hereditary molecule" which would be made up of "two mirror strands that would replicate in a semi-conservative fashion using each strand as a template"

  • DNA has a regular structure

    Source William Astbury produced the first X-ray diffraction patterns that showed that DNA had a regular structure

  • Rosalind Franklin - Photo 51

    Source Using X-ray diffraction, Franklin obtained an image of sodium salt of DNA. This was very important in the determination of DNA structure.

  • Linus Pauling proposes triple-helical structure for DNA

    Source

  • Watson sees photograph 51

    Source As soon as Watson saw this image he immediately knew that the DNA molecule must consist of two chains arranged in a paired helix.

  • Model Finished

    Source Watson and Crick finished their model, which reached 6 feet tall.

  • Structure of DNA Revealed

    Source On this date, in an article in the journal 'Nature', Francis Crick and James Watson revealed they had discovered the structure of DNA.

  • Nobel Peace Prize

    SourceJames Watson, Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins jointly recieved the Nobel prize for their 1953 contribution to the discovery of the structure of DNA.