A HISTORY OF DNA

SEE p. 292-293
• Discovery of the DNA double helix
A. Frederick Griffith – Discovers that a factor in
diseased bacteria can transform harmless bacteria
into deadly bacteria (1928)
B. Rosalind Franklin - X-ray photo of DNA.
(1952)
C. Watson and Crick - described the
DNA molecule from Franklin’s X-ray.
(1953)
 Elucidation of DNA structure
• 1920-P.A.Levene(nucleic acid chemistry)-small
molecule,four nucleotides long,equal amounts
of four different nucleotides
• 1948-Erwin Chargaff(Chemist)-paper
chromatography-analyze base composition –
different species
• Chargaff’s rule/base pairing rule
 Chargaff 1947

• DNA composition: “Chargaff’s rules”

– varies from species to species
– all 4 bases not in equal quantity
– bases present in characteristic ratio
• humans:
A = 30.9%
T = 29.4%
G = 19.9%
C = 19.8%
That’s interesting!
What do you notice?
Chargaff
Watson-Crick model of DNA was consistent with Chargaff’s base composition
rules
Erwin Chargaff (Columbia University)

G = C and A = T in DNA
 Genetic Diversity…
• Different arrangements
of NUCLEOTIDES in a
nucleic acid (DNA)
provides the key to
DIVERSITY among living
organisms.
• 1951-Rosalind Franklin & Maurice Wilkins(King’s
college London)-X-ray crystallography
• Predicted the double helical structure(1952-53)
• Franklin’s data:dark spots at the top and bottom
shows purines and pyrimidines
• Stacked on each other & separated by .34nm
• Phosphate groups were lay outside the cylinder
• Finally the X-ray data & determination of density
of DNA-helix contains two strands.
Franklin
Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958)
• James Watson-American biologist
• Francis crick-Physicist
• Cambridge university
• The results were unsuccessful until they get
the Franklin’s data
 Structure of DNA 1953 | 1962

• Watson & Crick

– developed double helix model of DNA
• other scientists working on question:
– Rosalind Franklin
– Maurice Wilkins
– Linus Pauling

Franklin Wilkins Pauling

 1953 article in Nature
Watson and Crick

Watson Crick
WATSON & CRICK

?
• Combining chargaff’s rule & franklin’s data-
predicted the double helical structure.
Nobel prize-1962