Watson, Crick, Wilkins, and Franklin

Key Questions

  • Answer:

    The structure of DNA requires that adenine always bonds with thymine, and cytosine always bonds with guanine.

    Explanation:

    The nitrogenous bases of DNA include the purines adenine (A) and guanine (G), and the pyrimidines thymine (T) and cytosine (C). Chargaff's rule states that there is always a 1:1 ratio of purines to pyrimidines in DNA. More specifically, the #A = #T and the #G = #C.

    This is reflected in the molecular structure of the Watson-Crick model of DNA, where the two strands of DNA are held together by hydrogen bonding between nitrogenous bases. Their model shows how A always bonds with T and G always bonds with C.

  • Answer:

    Rosalind Franklin was a chemist who performed X-ray crystallography on DNA and determined the double helix structure of DNA.

    Explanation:

    James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1962 for their work in determining the structure of DNA and its significance.
    http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1962/

    Rosalind Franklin did not receive the Nobel Prize because she had died of cancer before the Nobel Prize was awarded, and the Nobel Prize is not awarded posthumously.

Questions