Who won the race to show the three-dimensional structure of DNA?

Who won the race to show the three-dimensional structure of DNA?

• A. Linus Pauling
• B. Rosalind Franklin
• C. James Watson and Francis Crick
• D. Maurice Wilkins

Answer: (C)

Understanding who first revealed the three-dimensional form of DNA hinges on how scientists turn experimental evidence into a workable model. In 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick proposed the double helix as the correct three-dimensional arrangement of DNA. They used Chargaff’s rules—A pairs with T and G pairs with C—to define base-pairing, and they relied on X-ray diffraction data collected by Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins to infer that DNA is a helix with a specific width and two long strands running in opposite directions. With these data, they built a concrete model showing a sugar-phosphate backbone on the outside and complementary base pairs inside, connected by hydrogen bonds. This arrangement not only matched the observed data but also suggested a natural mechanism for DNA replication via base pairing, which helped the model gain wide acceptance. Linus Pauling had proposed a helical structure as well, but his ideas didn’t align with the data as well, so the first widely recognized solution came from Watson and Crick’s correct arrangement published in 1953. Franklin’s contributions were crucial, and Wilkins’ data helped fuel the insight, but Watson and Crick are the ones credited with showing the three-dimensional structure.

Understanding who first revealed the three-dimensional form of DNA hinges on how scientists turn experimental evidence into a workable model. In 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick proposed the double helix as the correct three-dimensional arrangement of DNA. They used Chargaff’s rules—A pairs with T and G pairs with C—to define base-pairing, and they relied on X-ray diffraction data collected by Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins to infer that DNA is a helix with a specific width and two long strands running in opposite directions. With these data, they built a concrete model showing a sugar-phosphate backbone on the outside and complementary base pairs inside, connected by hydrogen bonds. This arrangement not only matched the observed data but also suggested a natural mechanism for DNA replication via base pairing, which helped the model gain wide acceptance. Linus Pauling had proposed a helical structure as well, but his ideas didn’t align with the data as well, so the first widely recognized solution came from Watson and Crick’s correct arrangement published in 1953. Franklin’s contributions were crucial, and Wilkins’ data helped fuel the insight, but Watson and Crick are the ones credited with showing the three-dimensional structure.