HISTORY OF DNA
Merrin Thomas 1st period 2|12|14
DNA DNA DNA DNA DNA DNA DNA DNA
Gregor Mendel
Gregor Mendel was a scientist who discovered the fundamental laws of inheritance. He is also known as the 'Father of Genetics'
What years did they make their discoveries?
Gregor Mendel 'discovered' the laws of genetics in the 1860s.
What did they discover/research?
Gregor Mendel cross-bred pea plants to see how traits were passed from generation to generation. He eventually created the laws of genetics. This is Mendel's most famous discovery, he theorized that traits do not 'disappear' as some traits are dominant and some are recessive.
How did they further the study of genetics?
Gregor Mendel discovered the most crucial pieces of information that help us get a better understanding on how genes are passed from generation to generation.
How did their work contribute to the structure of DNA?
He discovered that genes come in pairs and are inherited as distinct units one from each parent.
Frederick Griffith
Frederick Griffith was a scientist that worked on a project about DNA.
What years did they make their discoveries?
Frederick Griffith made his discovery in 1928, when his experiment about mice succeeded.
What did they discover/research?
Griffith experiment involved mice and he though that the killed virulent bacteria had passed on a characteristic to the non-virulent mice to make it virulent. He thought that this characteristic was in the inheritance molecule. This passing on of the inheritance molecule, which Griffith called transformation.
How did they further the study of genetics?
Frederick Griffith enabled others to point out that DNA was the molecule of inheritance.
How did they work contribute to the discovery of the structure of DNA?
Frederick Griffith's work contributed to the discovery of the structure of DNA because, his work proved that proteins were made because of DNA.
Oswald Avery
Oswald Avery was a physician and a medical researcher. He is best known for his discovery of cell transformation.
What years did they make their discoveries?
Avery discovered that DNA carriers a cell's genetic material and can be altered through transformation in 1944.
What did they discover/research?
Oswald Avery discovered cell transformation. He recognized that DNA carries a cell's genetic material and can be altered.
How did they further the study of genetics?
Avery's discovery convinced scientists around the world that genes were made of DNA, and led people to find how DNA was to produce the wide range of genetic effects begun.
How did their work contribute to the structure of DNA?
Oswald Avery's research made way for Watson and Cricks discovery of the helical structure of DNA.
Erwin Chargaff
Erwin Chargaff was an Austrian biochemist. He discovered a mystery that helped lead to the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA.
What years did they make their discoveries?
Chargaff analyzed the base composition in a number of organisms, which was in 1950.
What did they discover/research?
Chargaff discovered 2 rules which were able to figure out that the DNA had a double helical structure.
How did they further the study of genetics?
Erwin Chargaff's work helped scientists understand that the DNA was a double-Helix DNA strand.
How did their work contribute to the discovery of the structure of DNA?
Chargaff discovered 2 rules about DNA, and how it's composition varies from one species to another, this new founded mystery helped lead to the discovery of the double-helix DNA.
Rosalind Franklin
Rosalind Franklin was a British biophysicist. She was a scientist whose contributions to the discovery of the shape of the DNA molecule went uncredited for many years.
What years did they make their discoveries?
In 1951, Franklin took X-Ray diffraction photographs of DNA that showed a helical form of the molecule.
What did they discover/research?
Rosalind discovered that DNA had a helical form to it, she took pictures of the DNA. In her pictures it showed the DNA clearly being a Double Helix.
How did they further the study of DNA?
Because of her new discovery, many questions were brought, which made scientist study more and more about the complex and unique DNA molecule.
How did their work contribute to the structure of DNA?
Franklin's work contributed a lot to the discovery of the structure of DNA because she discovered that DNA has a double Helix, which was a big mystery back in the day.
Maurice Wilkins
Maurice Wilkins was a molecular biologist whose research contributed to the scientific understanding of DNA.
What years did they make their discovers?
In 1948-1950 Wilkins is best know for his work at King's College on the structure of DNA which falls into three distinct phases.
What did they discover/research?
Wilkins initial studies produced the first clear X-Ray images of DNA which he presented later on. He also produced clear "B form X" shaped images from squid.
How did they further the study of genetics?
Maurice Wilkins' studies helped contribute to the scientific understanding of optical microscopy and X-Ray diffraction.
How did their work contribute to the discovery of the structure of DNA?
Wilkons' discovery contributed to the discovery of structure to help scientist understand the complex and unique structure of DNA and ultimately solve the mystery of the structure of DNA.
James Watson
James Watson was a molecular biologist,geneticist, and a zoologist. He is best known as a co-discoverer of the structure of the DNA in 1953 with Frances Crick,
What years did they make their discoveries?
What years did they make their discoveries?
James Watson solved the structure of DNA in 1953.
What did they discover/research?
James Watson (along with Frances Crick) solved the structure of DNA with the help and contribution of scientists like Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkons.
How did they further the study of genetics?
James Watson revolutionized the study of genetics, but because of his new discovery, it leads to further investigation of the mystery of life.
How did their work contribute to the discovery of the structure of DNA?
Because of the contribution of all the scientists who worked on DNA, James Watson (along with Frances Crick) finally solved the mystery of the structure of DNA.
Frances Crick
James Watson was a molecular biologist, biophysicist, and neuroscientist. He is best known as a co-discoverer of the structure of the DNA in 1953 with James Watson.
What years did they make their discoveries?
Frances Crick solved the structure of DNA in 1953.
What did they discover/research?
Frances Crick (along with James Watson) solved the structure of DNA with the help and contribution of scientists like Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkons.
How did they further the study of genetics?
Frances Crick revolutionized the study of genetics, but because of his new discovery, it leads to further investigation of the mystery of life.
How did their work contribute to the discovery of the structure of DNA?
Because of the contribution of all the scientists who worked on DNA, Fracnwse Crick (along with James Watson) finally solved the mystery of the structure of DNA.