James Watson and Francis Crick are credited with discovering and first describing the double helix structure of DNA in 1953, building critically on X-ray data from Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins.

Quick Scoop

  • The double helix model of DNA was proposed by James Watson and Francis Crick at the University of Cambridge in 1953.
  • Their work relied heavily on X‑ray diffraction images of DNA produced by Rosalind Franklin and her colleague Maurice Wilkins at King’s College London.
  • Watson, Crick, and Wilkins received the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of DNA’s molecular structure, while Franklin’s crucial contributions were only widely recognized later due to her early death and historical bias.

In simple terms: Watson and Crick built the famous “twisted ladder” model, but Franklin’s X‑ray image known as “Photograph 51” was a key piece of evidence showing DNA was a helix.

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