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1.1.3 Watson and Crick Form

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16 views

1.1.3 Watson and Crick Form

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kye.michell
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1.

lDNA

1 • 1 .3 Watson and Crick


Staining techniques in the early years of cellular biology showed that chromosomes,
known to carry hereditary information, consisted of nucleic acid and protein. In the
1940s most believed that the genetic material of genes was the protein. By the early 1950s experiments had
shown that it was the DNA, and not the protein, that carried the genetic information. The chemical composition
of DNA was known - nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon, oxygen and hydrogen and there was a race to work out
how the atoms were arranged so that the molecule could store the necessary information, replicate (copy) itself
and control cellular reactions.
Maurice Wilkins (1916-2004) and Rosalind Franklin
(1920-1958) worked at King's College, London using X-ray
crystallography to produce images of DNA. Franklin took a photo
which Wilkins showed to his friend James Watson (1928- ).
Watson was a molecular biologist interested in the structure of
DNA. Watson had teamed up with Francis Crick (1916-2004) a
physicist/molecular biologist who had developed mathematical
methods of interpreting X-ray patterns in photos.
From Franklin's photo, Watson and Crick were able to work
out the distance between atoms, the size of the atoms and the
angles of the bonds. They used this information to build a three- James Watson and Francis Crick show
dimensional model of DNA - the double helix. Watson, Crick their model of the DNA molecule.
and Wilkins were awarded the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology
or Medicine for 'their discoveries concerning the molecule structure of nucleic acids and its significance for
information transfer in living material'.

1.1.3.1 Why did many scientists in the 1940s think the genetic code was in a protein molecule?
Staining techniques in the early years of cellular biology showed that chromosomes, known to carry h

1.1 .3.2 By the early 1950s, what was known about the molecule that carried the genetic information?
It was DNA not the protein that carried geentic information

1.1.3.3 Identify three features the molecule carrying the genetic information needed to have.

Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Carbon

1.1.3.4 What contributions did Wilkins and Franklin make to the understanding of the structure of DNA?
Crystallography to produce images of DNA

1.1.3.5 Why was the photo important in working out the structure of DNA?
Solved the distance between the atoms, the size of the atoms, and the angles of the
bond

Double Helix
1.1.3.6 What shape was proposed by Watson and Crick for the DNA molecule? ...... ..........

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