Who discovered the double helix structure of DNA?
This extract is from the IB Biology book by Weem et all pg 41
TOK: The structure of DNA
"The story of the discovery of DNA illustrates how communication between scientists is critical in the growth of knowledge. The discovery of the structure of DNA was one of the most significant biological milestones of the twentieth century, but it was not without controversy.
Chemist Rosalind Franklin began work on the structure of DNA in the early 1950's. Her area of expertise was making x-ray diffraction images that revealed the arrangement of atoms in molecules. Soon Franklin discovered key features of the structure of DNA such as the fact that there were two strands in DNA and that the bases were on the inside of the molecule. One x-ray diffraction image (photo 51) was shown by Franklin's colleague, Maurice Wilkins, to James Watson without her knowledge. Wilkins also shared Franklin's insights gained from the x-ray diffraction images with Watson. This information was critical to Watson and Francis Crick developing their model for the structure of DNA.
In acknowledgement of the discovery, Watson, Crick and Wilkins were all awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology in 1962. Franklin was not. She died from ovarian cancer at an age of 37 in 1956. Nobel prizes are not awarded posthumously, and no more than three people can be awarded a Nobel Prize for a discovery. Whether Franklin would have received the prize had she been alive has been the cause of much debate. The cause of the cancer was most likely the radiation she used to produce her images"
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Your assignment is to research this controversy about the discovery of DNA. Include in your report your opinion of whether or not Ms. Franklin was "wronged" by not being acknowledged as one of the co-discoverers of the structure of DNA. Please post your research and opinion as a comment to this blog post. Remember to sign your post with first name and last initial. Two or three paragraphs would be appropriate.
Any questions? Please ask. Thanks, Mr. A
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TOK the structure of DNA
ReplyDeleteRosalind Franklin was born on the 26th of July 1920 was a British biophysicist and X-ray crystallographer who contributed to the understanding of the structure DNA. Franklin is best known for her X-ray image of DNA which later on led to the discovery of the DNA double helix. According to Crick her data was the key to determine the structure of the model of DNA that Crick and Watson created later in 1953. However Franklin’s images of the helix structure of DNA were shown to Watson without the knowledge or approval of Rosalind Franklin. From unpublished works by Franklin, Crick and Wilkins determined that the Bone structure had to be on the outside and the chains on the inside and the bases pointing outwards. However her work was only published 3rd in a series of 3 DNA Nature articles, led by the paper of Watson and Crick which only slightly hinted at her having contributed to the hypothesis.
Controversies after the death of Franklin involve things such as allegations of sexism and forgetting her contribution to the DNA model. Since there were so little women in the field at this time there was a lot of accusation of sexism Farooq Hussain states “there were seven women in the biophysics department….” Much later, at Cambridge, Francis Crick acknowledges, "I'm afraid we always used to adopt – let's say, a patronizing attitude towards her." And another Cambridge colleague, Peter Cavendish, wrote in a letter, "Wilkins is supposed to be doing this work; Miss Franklin is evidently a fool." This shows that there was a lot of usage of Franklins work without her being given credit. One important contribution to the Crick and Watson model was when she lectured at a seminar in November 1951. Another contribution to the model includes an X-ray photograph of B-DNA that was shown to Watson by Wilkins in January 1952. There is a lot of controversy about whether there should be more recognition for Franklins work and contribution to the DNA model.
I believe that Franklin should have received a lot more acknowledgement for her work with DNA, first of all because she was a women and second of all because she did most of the work on the discovery. I believe that she should have been the first person to get the Noble Prize for the discovery of the double helix DNA; she was the one who took the photography. I also believe that there should have been a much greater awareness of the fact that the photography was taken by someone different and since there was no doubt that Franklins data was used by Crick and Watson they should have not been allowed to keep the prize.
Karen D.
Rosalind Franklin was a British scientist that mainly worked in the field of x-rays. As a young scientist she studied the microstructures of carbon and graphite. She learned and specialized on x-rays in Paris i at the Laboratoire Central des Services Chimiques de L'Etat. It was in Randall’s lab where she studied DNA, which is what she is most known for. Through a series of x-rays she was able to discover that DNA was double-stranded. In other words, she discovered that DNA was rapped in two strands that were connected. This was a great discover on the structure of DNA but brought was a discovery surrounded by a lot of controversy.
ReplyDeleteWhile working in Randall’s lab, she was assigned a DNA project that hadn’t been touched in months. Soon the scientist, Maurice Welkins, that had studied it previously returned and treated her like an assistant instead of a peer. This shows how women were unjustly treated and seen as inferiors. Wilkins showed his peer, James Watson, one of Franklin’s x-rays without her permission. This x-ray showed the structure of DNA pretty clearly. She wasn’t given any credit for this discovery at the time while the other three men involved (Watson, Crick and Walkins) received a Nobel Prize for it.
I believed this was an unfair resolution. I believe Rosalind Franklin should have gotten some credit, as the x-rays were hers. She had found the visual proof that DNA had two strands. From there, the other three men had worked to explain what this meant and get a better model of the DNA structure, but at the end of the day it was her who did the first move. The first move was the hardest because it is where the structure was actually discovered. Also, she put so much worked to investigate DNA and create that x-ray that she should have won the Nobel Prize with the rest of the men. This just goes on to show the male dominated society where Rosalind Franklin tries to succeed in. Even though as woman she had few possibilities Rosalind Franklin never gave up in try to be the best scientist she could.
Carmen A.
Blanca M
ReplyDeleteRosalind Franklin, Francis Crick, and James D. Watson were working in the Cavendish Laboratory. Rosalid Franklin’s work finished in February 1953 and was crucial for Crick and Watson’s further investigation.
Franklin left the laboratory little after 1953. Then a while later Crick and Watson could get full onto their work. However, Franklin moved to Birkbeck College but her boss insisted on her work staying at King’s. By 1953, Crick and Watson had already figured out enough of the solution. Later Franklin asked Crick and Watson to see their model. She stated it was impossible to prove. However she did republish one of her works so it would support their model.
The great controversy about this is that when Crick and Watson got a Nobel prize. Did they acknowledge the right people? Most think that Franklin’s original work was the main contribution to their model. However, she did not get a Nobel prize and barely any recognition for having “created” it. We can conclude that not enough credit was given to her.
The discovery of DNA and the double helix structure of DNA was one of the greatest achievements in history of science. It led to our understanding of the passing of genes from generation to generation. Many would call it the key to modern science, but its discovery was with injustice and controversy.
ReplyDeleteRosalind Franklin, was a young woman who would spend days in her laboratory experimenting. She developed high quality cameras in order to discover the shape of the double helix structure of DNA. She discovered key features of the structure of DNA with her X-ray diffraction image which she named “Photo 51” and put aside. This crucial image was later shown without her knowing to James Watson by Maurice Wilkins. Later, Maurice Wilkins, James Watson and Francis Crick based their model for the structure of DNA on her data and “Photo 51.” In 1962, six years after Rosalind’s death at the age of thirty-seven, Wilkins, Watson and Crick were award the Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology. Rosalind’s contribution wasn’t acknowledged until James Watson published The Double Helix portraying her as an unfair and cruel woman. It wasn’t until many years later that Rosalind Franklin would begin to get credit for her work.
For many years Rosalind Franklin’s work was undermined and overlooked. This was partly due to the fact that she was a woman during this time period. She was a victim of sexism and wasn’t given the same opportunities. She wasn’t given the credit she deserved for the discovery. She was cheated by Watson, Crick and Wilkins and died at a young age due to overexposure to radiation without the world truly recognizing her contribution to science.
Irem G
Theory of Knowledge of the Structure of DNA
ReplyDeleteThe discovery of DNA was one of the most significant scientific feats of the twentieth century. DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is a double-helix molecule that codes for the genetic instructions that distinguish all living organisms. In other words, DNA is the instruction manual for the characteristics that make all organisms different. However, its discovery proposed many controversies, as there is uncertainty relating to the team that made the discovery possible.
Rosalind Franklin, a British biophysicist, was well-known for her work on X-Ray diffraction imaging which led to her critical contributions to determining DNA structure. Her work later influenced other scientists., such as her colleague Maurice Wilkins, who worked on the same fields, even though they sometimes had opposing views. An American molecular biologist, James Watson was another co-discoverer of the DNA structure, working throughout the United States and England, where he met his collaborator and friend Francis Crick. Crick was a molecular biologist and co-discoverer of the structure as well. Overall, these overlapping studies of the DNA’s double helix structure, led by these four scientists, were essential to the information we have today about the molecule.
Nevertheless, there is a debatable issue in the scientific world concerning this discovery, and it is the following: In 1962, Wilkins, Watson and Crick were awarded the Nobel prize for their achievement, yet Rosalind Franklin was never mentioned. Franklin had died at age 37 because of ovarian cancer, probably because of her constant contact with radiation. The award cannot be given to a deceased collaborator, but most argue that she was equally important to the contribution.
Camila B.
Rosalind Franklin was a female chemist who worked on trying to find the structure of DNA in the early 1950’s. She used x-ray diffraction images in her work. She used these images to show the arrangement of atoms in molecules. Using the x-ray diffraction images, Franklin found parts of DNA’s structure. Franklin was the one who found that DNA has two strands. She also found that in DNA, the bases were on the inside of the molecule. She died from ovarian cancer, which was most likely caused by the radiation she used for her images, when she was only 37.
ReplyDeleteControversy followed Franklin’s discovery. One of her colleagues, Maurice Wilkins, showed the image to James Watson. The problem with this was that Wilkins did not have Franklin’s consent to share her images. In addition to sharing the images, Wilkins shared Franklin’s perception of the image with Watson. The image and information that Wilkins shared was crucial to Watson and Francis Crick in developing their model of DNA. Because Wilson, Watson, and Crick supposedly made such an important discovery, they received the Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology in 1962. However, Franklin was not even acknowledged for her discovery. One argument as to why she did not receive the Nobel prize is that it is not awarded to someone after he or she has died, and she had died seven years before the prize was awarded to Wilson, Watson, and Crick. Furthermore, the Nobel prize can only be awarded to three people for one discovery. There has been much debate over whether or not Franklin would have received the prize if she had been alive.
In my opinion, Rosalind Franklin deserved to win the Nobel Prize. She obviously made the discovery about the structure of DNA but just because she was a woman, she did not receive any acknowledgement or credit for it. Wilson ruined her chance at getting the prize by sharing her findings with other scientists. In addition, Watson and Crick should have given her credit for it. Even if she had not been able to receive the Nobel prize since she was dead, they should have at least acknowledged her in some way.
Iines K.
The discovery of the structure DNA was a very controversial topic during the twentieth century. This topic was controversial because, apart from the fact that she studied in King’s College and in Cambridge, she was a woman. The discovery of the structure of DNA was accredited to many scientists, but not accredited to the most appropriate recipient of this recognition.
ReplyDeleteRosalind Franklin was a young scientist who first stated her views on the structure of DNA. She began her studies on DNA in 1951 when she returned to the King’s College to work as a research associate to John Randall. She worked on creating X-ray diffraction images of DNA in order to understand the structure. Her findings showed that DNA had a double helix structure. Her findings influenced many other scientists also investigating DNA structures. Maurice Wilkins, James Watson, and Francis Crick were greatly aided by Franklin’s findings in order to produce by 1953 a model of DNA. At first, Wilkins was greatly opposed to Franklin’s idea of a double helix and stated that DNA had a helical structure. In 1953, Franklin provided images to Wilkins proving her theory of the double helix. Wilkins showed these images to Watson and Crick without Franklin’s consent and together they created the model of DNA structure.
In 1962, Wilkins, Watson, and Crick were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for Physiology and Medicine for their ‘discoveries’. Franklin got no credit, at the time, for her great input in the discovery of the structure of DNA. Franklin died of ovarian cancer in 1956, which means she was no longer alive by the time the award was given. Also, a Nobel Peace Prize can only be awarded to no more than three recipients, which is what pushed Franklin off the list. The controversy is whether she was not awarded the Prize because of her death or because she was a woman and was no accredited for her work.
Lydia B.
TOK – Rosalind Franklin
ReplyDeleteIn the 20th century scientist especially monocular biologists were trying to discover in what form our DNA came and more about it in general. There were three people who stood out above all others when it came to these discoveries about Deoxyribonucleic Acid their names were Rosalind Franklin, James Watson and Francis Crick. Before these monocular biologist pioneers there was no evidence of how a DNA strand looks like. Watson and Crick were later said to be the discoverers of the double helix as well as.
Rosalind Franklin is a name, which will forever cause controversy as far as science and women’s rights. Born in London, England, July 25, 1920 Franklin was born into a wealthy family who stressed on the importance of education. She was outstanding in the field of science. This went to show as in 1945 she earned her doctorate in Cambridge in the area of physical chemistry. In her early life she worked at the British Coal Utilization Research Association and later went to work in Paris at the Laboratoire Central des Services Chimiques de L'Etat. There she received a degree X-ray diffraction. And it was with these skills she was able to develop the famous photograph, which proved that there is such thing as a double helix. At 35 whilst working in the United States Rosalind Franklin discovered a lump in her lower abdomen. She had ovarian cancer and died from it only two years later at the tender age of 37. It was essentially her job, which killed as she was constantly exposed to radiation.
A Nobel Prize can only be awarded to two people maximum. So if Rosalind Franklin were to have lived it would not have been awarded to her because of her gender. Secondly, I can believe that the fact that she died and did not receive any recognition after she left Watson and Crick with their most essential building blocks also goes to show how little respect she received from the experts in her field especially at that time.
ANNA VDL
TOK Structure of DNA
ReplyDeleteRosalind Franklin an English biophysicist was born on July 25th, 1950. She was the key factor of discovering the molecular structure of DNA even though she was not highly acknowledged for it. In the early 1950s, she took a few X-ray diffraction photographs of DNA structures that proved a helical form of the molecule. A photograph which was later confirmed by James Watson and Francis Crick who won the Nobel Prize in 1962 for their DNA research. Franklin did not win the Nobel Prize because she died of ovarian cancer at age 37 in 1956. Nobel Prizes are not awarded after death and are also not awarded to more than 3 people. Many debate weather Rosalind Franklin would’ve gotten a Nobel Prize for her discovery if she was still alive. In that time woman were not actively working and the fact that she was a woman could’ve cost her her recognition.
Rosalind Elsie Franklin was a pioneer molecular biologist born in London England. Franklin was responsible for a large part of the research that led to the understanding of the structure of the DNA. She was only 15 when she decided she wanted to become a scientist. In 1938 she enrolled at Newnham College, Cambridge graduating in 1941. Then, she held a graduate fellowship for year but then quit in 1942 to be able to go work at the British Coal Utilization Research Association. That is where she made studies of carbon and graphite microstructures. That work ended u being the basis of her doctorate in physical chemistry which she got in 1945 from Cambridge University. Rosalind Frank is best known for her accomplishment of taking X-ray diffraction images of DNA which later led to the discovery of the DNA double helix.
In my opinion, Rosalind Franklin would not have gotten the Nobel Prize in 1962 even if she was alive. At the time, men were though of as superior to women, especially in the work area. It is obvious that Rosalind did all the work on discovery the structure of DNA. She was the one that took the X-ray diffraction photographs of DNA structures that proved the helical form of a molecule. Plus, all of her hard work ended up causing her death. The radiation of taken the pictures was most likely the reason why she got ovarian cancer at age 37. Rosalind Franklin would’ve probably not gotten her recognition even though she deserved it.
Vera S.
Introduction – brief summary of DNA research
ReplyDeleteThe basic code that is the very essence of all life on earth has been mostly a mystery to humans until 60 years ago, and even then it is still mysterious and it will be even longer until humans completely understand and decipher it. This code is DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid. Despite being isolate in 1869 by Friedrich Miescher, the structure of DNA would remain unknown until 1952, when British biophysicist Rosalind Franklin took an X-ray image of DNA. Without her consent, her work was passed on to two other scientists, James Watson and Francis Crick, who would become world-famous for their “discovery” of the double-helix structure of DNA. They both won the Nobel Prize – but Rosalind Franklin received little recognition until much, much later, and died of cancer in 1958, at age 37.
The controversy
The period of time during which all this happened was significant – the world had not yet seen many prominent civil rights movements and wouldn’t until the 1960’s, meaning that women, especially women who worked in professions considered to be “male” were seen as inferior and unimportant by some men. Furthermore, the world did not even know what a computer was, and the Internet was still 30 years away, which meant that the flow of ideas and discoveries was much less regulated than it is nowadays. The controversy in the discovery of DNA lies within the fact that Franklin never received any credit for her work – despite Watson and Crick admitting that her images were fundamental to their discoveries. The images were shown to them without Franklin’s consent, which, by many academic standards today, would mean that Watson and Crick effectively plagiarized Franklin’s work.
Was what Watson and Crick did right?
In short, no. They took advantage of the time period and went through back channels to obtain research that wasn’t theirs and became rich and famous off of it. They should have at the very least credited Franklin for the image and given her greater acknowledgement before she died in 1958. Today, the chances of something like this occurring are much lesser – digital and other methods could be used to prove the origin of the research.
Works Cited
"The Discovery of DNA." BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2013.
"The Discovery of the Molecular Structure of DNA - The Double Helix". Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2013. Web. 17 Dec 2013. http://www.nobelprize.org/educational/medicine/dna_double_helix/readmore.html
"DNA." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Dec. 2013. Web. 17 Dec. 2013.
Pray, Leslie A., Ph.D. "Discovery of DNA Structure and Function: Watson and Crick." Scitable. Nature Education, 2008. Web. 16 Dec. 2013.
Julian A.
TOK-Rosalind Franklin
ReplyDeleteRosalind Franklin was born on the 26th of July 1920 was a British biophysicist and X-ray crystallographer who contributed to the understanding of the structure DNA. Franklin is best known for her X-ray image of DNA which later on led to the discovery of the DNA double helix. According to Crick her data was the key to determine the structure of the model of DNA that Crick and Watson created later in 1953. However Franklin’s images of the helix structure of DNA were shown to Watson without the knowledge or approval of Rosalind Franklin. From unpublished works by Franklin, Crick and Wilkins determined that the Bone structure had to be on the outside and the chains on the inside and the bases pointing outwards. However her work was only published 3rd in a series of 3 DNA Nature articles, led by the paper of Watson and Crick which only slightly hinted at her having contributed to the hypothesis.
Controversies after the death of Franklin involve things such as allegations of sexism and forgetting her contribution to the DNA model. Since there were so little women in the field at this time there was a lot of accusation of sexism Farooq Hussain states “there were seven women in the biophysics department….” Much later, at Cambridge, Francis Crick acknowledges, "I'm afraid we always used to adopt – let's say, a patronizing attitude towards her." And another Cambridge colleague, Peter Cavendish, wrote in a letter, "Wilkins is supposed to be doing this work; Miss Franklin is evidently a fool." This shows that there was a lot of usage of Franklins work without her being given credit. One important contribution to the Crick and Watson model was when she lectured at a seminar in November 1951. Another contribution to the model includes an X-ray photograph of B-DNA that was shown to Watson by Wilkins in January 1952. There is a lot of controversy about whether there should be more recognition for Franklins work and contribution to the DNA model.
I believe that Franklin should have received a lot more acknowledgement for her work with DNA, first of all because she was a women and second of all because she did most of the work on the discovery. I believe that she should have been the first person to get the Noble Prize for the discovery of the double helix DNA; she was the one who took the photography. I also believe that there should have been a much greater awareness of the fact that the photography was taken by someone different and since there was no doubt that Franklins data was used by Crick and Watson they should have not been allowed to keep the prize.
Isabella B.
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ReplyDeleteDoug A.
Controversy of the Structure of DNA
ReplyDeleteThe story of how the DNA structure was discovered is one of the most controversial and important events in the biological field during the 20th century. This story illustrates the importance of how communication is a key role when trying to create a milestone in any field. The story is also critical towards the growth of knowledge.
Rosalind Elsie Franklin was one the pioneer molecular biologists during the 20th century. She began her work on how DNA was structured while spending three years in Paris at Laboratoire Central des Services Chimiques de L’Etat. There she learned X-ray diffraction techniques and this became her field of expertise. From these diffraction techniques, Franklin came to find the photographs revealed the arrangement of atoms in molecules. Soon, she discovered that the key features of the DNA structure included two strands in DNA and that the bases lay on the inside.
Franklin’s colleague Maurice Wilkins had mistaken Franklin for a technical assistant and when realizing she was a head researcher, he accepted but with little respect. When Franklin came close to solving the DNA structure, Wilkins took one of the diffracted portraits (“Photo 51”) and showed it to James Watson at a Symposium in Naples. Through Wilkins, Watson started to work on cracking the code and from this met Francis Crick. Both Watson and Crick shared insights on X-ray diffraction. The two thought it was possible to correctly guess the structure and after a failed attempt in 1951, they cracked the code two years later. The information given through Wilkins and literature was proven important to develop their DNA structure model.
Later, Watson, Crick, and Wilkins were all awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology in 1962. Franklin was not, for she died in 1956 due to ovarian cancer at 37 years of age. Only three people can be awarded the prize for a discovery. Due to the fact that Nobel Prizes are not awarded after someone has died, the question at hand is if Franklin should have received the award if she was living. This has been the cause of much debate. No one truly knows how Franklin contracted cancer, but the most plausible cause is the radiation she was in contact with while producing the images.
Stacy J.
TOK: Rosalind Franklin
ReplyDeleteThe controversy about the discovery of DNA makes many people wonder. A chemist, called Rosalind Franklin, was working on the structure of DNA, making X-ray diffraction images. She discovered the basic structure of DNA, finding out that there are two strands and the bases were inside the molecule. Even though she was the first one to discover this, Maurice Wilkins, Franklin’s colleague, showed one of her X-ray diffraction image to James Watson, without telling her. Not only showing the image, but he also shared Franklin’s ideas with Watson.
At the same time, Watson and Francis Crick were trying to figure out a model for the structure of DNA, and they realized that Franklin’s idea was very crucial for them. For this discovery, all but Franklin were awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology. She could not be awarded since she died from ovarian cancer in 1956, when the three were awarded in 1962. However, the fact that three people are the maximum for the amount of people who can be awarded for one discovery creates a controversy. This leads us to a question: would Franklin have been awarded if she was alive in 1962?
I believe that Franklin would not have been awarded even if she was alive, although she had to. First, even though she was the first one to discover the key features of the structure of DNA, other people used her ideas to let people know of it first. Also, she was a woman, which limited many things at that time. On the other hand, I strongly believe that she should have been awarded if she was alive. It is because she was the pioneer of finding the structure of DNA, and the radiation that she had to suffer when making X-ray images is the most likely reason for cancer, which eventually caused her death.
Min C.
TOK- DNA
ReplyDeleteDuring the time when Rosalind Franklin, Maurice Wilkins, James Watson and Francis Crick discovered a key element in the DNA formation, there was little communication between them. This shows that in order to improve science in any way, there must be a certain amount of communication. Otherwise, there would be all these scientists with valuable information, but never being able to use it because they may not know what some other scientists know, to connect it to the problem at hand.
In 1951, Franklin discovered a very important part of the structure of DNA. She had been taking diffraction pictures of crystalized DNA fibers with the help of a student in the school where she was to set up and improve the X-ray crystallography. Although Franklin and Wilkins worked in the same building as each other, there was little communication between them. Wilkins, a fellow scientist, was away when Franklin arrived and on his return, Wilkins assumed that she was hired to be his assistant. Franklin did not know Watson and Crick as well as Wilkins, and therefore never truly collaborated with them. However, the photo 51, captured by Francis, was seen by Watson through Wilkins. Watson then shared the information with Crick. This was a major insight to DNA and Crick had the perfect information to tie everything all together.
In 1962 Wilkins, Watson and Crick were awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology. Franklin could not receive the Nobel Prize because she had died from cancer six years before and since one can not award the Nobel Prize to someone who has deceased, the award went to the three men who worked, more or less together, to make a huge step towards understanding living organisms better.
Maia D.
TOK: Structure of DNA
ReplyDeleteOne of the most significant Biological milestones of the 20th century was the discovery of DNA. The chemist, Rosalind Franklin started her work on DNA in the early 1950's. She was an expert in making x-ray diffraction images that showed the arrangements of the atoms in a molecule. In my opinion, I don't think she was credited enough since she was the one who started this experiment and was a huge contributor to the development of this discovery.
After experimenting, Rosalind discovered that there were two strands of DNA and the bases were inside the molecule. One day, Maurice Wilkins shared one of the x-ray diffraction images with James Watson and shared Rosalind Frankiln's insights on the x-ray diffraction image. This information was vital in order to develop a structure of DNA. As a result, in 1962, Watson, Crick and Wilkins were awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology. This can perfectly prove that in order to fully carry out with the experiment they needed Franklin's insight and without it they would have never been able to discover the structure of DNA.
Rosalind Franklin was not credited enough, especially since she was a main contributor to the discovery of the structure of DNA. Watson, Crick, and Wilkins would not have been able to win the Nobel Prize for this major discovery which marked history.
Blanca B.
I completely agree with you Blanca on how Rosalind Franklin didn't get the credit she deserved even after being the most important contributor to the discovery.
DeleteCarmen A
Theory of Knowledge in DNA
ReplyDeleteThe theory of knowledge means “the extent to which knowledge pertinent to any given subject or entity can be acquired”, in other words, the extent to where knowledge can be applied to a subject, in this case, DNA.
As it says in the article TOK The Structure of DNA the discovery of DNA brought to light the importance of the communication between scientists result in the expansion of knowledge.
The discovery began with Rosalind Franklin who made X-Ray diffraction images that showed the way atoms were arranged in molecules. With these pictures she was able to discover that there were two strands of DNA and the bases were inside the molecule.
The immoral aspect of this discovery was that her colleague, Maurice Wilkins, stole one of her photos, photo 51, and gave it to James Watson. James Watson then showed the images to Francis Crick, which allowed them to make their own model for the structure of DNA.
Then all these scientists were praised with Nobel Prizes while Rosalind Franklin received nothing and died of ovarian cancer from the radiation of the photos she was making. The discovery of DNA is obviously controversial as people argue that she should have got the prize since she started the process to finding the structure of DNA.
Marina G.
TOK: The Structure of DNA
ReplyDeleteDNA is the shortcut for Deoxyribonucleic acid. DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. Nearly every cell in a person’s body has the same DNA. Most DNA is located in the cell nucleus (where it is called nuclear DNA), but a small amount of DNA can also be found in the mitochondria (where it is called mitochondrial DNA). Rosalind Franklin was an important British biophysicist and X-ray crystallographer.
Franklin is best known for her work on the X-ray diffraction images of DNA which led to the world a better understanding of the DNA and later some co-workers the discovery of the DNA double helix. Francis Crick and Watson used her data to determine the structure of DNA. Franklin's images of X-ray diffraction confirming the helical structure of DNA were shown to Watson without her approval or knowledge. In April 1953 in the scientific paper where James Watson and Francis Crick presented the structure of the DNA-helix, the molecule that carries genetic information from one generation to the other. Nine years later, in 1962, they shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Maurice Wilkins, for solving one of the most important of all biological problems.
Many people have argued that the Nobel Prize should also have been awarded to Rosalind Franklin, since her experimental data provided a very important piece of evidence leading to the solving of the DNA structure. In a recent interview in the magazine Scientific American, Watson himself suggested that "it might have been a good idea to give Wilkins and Franklin the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and him and Crick the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine" – in that way all four would have received credit. I personally think that they should have done that in the first place, I guess that didn’t happen because we used to live in a very machoism world
Arturo S.
DNA-TOK
ReplyDeleteJames Watson, Maurice Wilkins and Francis Crick were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology in 1962 for the discovery of DNA. There was another scientists that helped this discovery but was not awarded the Nobel Prize because she passed away before it was awarded--Rosalind Frankin. The way these male scientists proved the double helix structure of DNA is through a process called x-ray crystallography. Watson and Crick were working together to model the structure of a DNA strand for the first time but they needed more information. They got access to Franklin’s x-rays and used it without her permission. This raises an ethical question: should Rosalind Franklin have received credit for the photographs Watson and Crick used to discover the DNA molecule structure?
Rosalind Franklin was born into a British banking family were both males and females were encouraged to pursue their interests. Franklin’s was science. She went to St. Paul’s Girls School, which is one of the few schools that taught girls science. She then went to Newnham College, the women’s college at Cambridge, and finished her degree in 1941. Once she got her PhD in physical chemistry, she was introduced to x-ray crystallography.
At the same time Rosalind Franklin was studying x-ray crystallography, her colleague Maurice Wilkins became interested in genetics. He went to a conference where James Watson heard him speaking about the x-ray crystallography and Watson became interested in the topic. When Watson started working on x-ray crystallography, he found Crick and immediately got him to help on the project. Unbeknownst to Franklin, Maurice Wilkins showed Watson and Crick the unpublished photograph called “Photo 51” that showed evidence of the helical structure of DNA and Franklin’s accurate measurement of the unit cell. This photograph helped them build their now famous DNA model.
Nine years after the Nobel Prize was awarded to them, Watson admitted in his book The Double Helix, “Rosy, of course,did not directly give us her data. For that matter, no one at King’s realized they were in our hands.” (Brenda Maddox, 407). By admitting this, he willingly knew how important her photograph was towards the development of their model yet they did not give her any credit. Whether this is because women were not respected in the scientific community or because they were being competitive scientists is not known. Even though it would have been impossible for her to receive the Nobel Prize because she had already died, none of the scientists even acknowledged her contribution to the project. Watson belittled Franklin, likely, because she was a woman, claiming that she “had missed the significance of her own photograph” (Robert McG. Thomas Jr.,1). There is irony in the fact that they remained friends for the rest of her life.
Works Cited:
http://www.chemheritage.org/discover/online-resources/chemistry-in-history/themes/biomolecules/dna/watson-crick-wilkins-franklin.aspx
http://www.biomath.nyu.edu/index/course/hw_articles/nature4.pdf
http://www.nytimes.com/1998/03/18/nyregion/anne-sayre-74-whose-book-credited-a-dna-scientist-dies.html
Elisa R.
TOK The Structure of DNA
ReplyDeleteThe discovery of DNA caused a lot of controversy. Rosalind Franklin, Maurice Wilkins, James Watson, and Francis Crick all contributed to the discovery. Because of their discoveries, Watson, Crick, and Wilkins all received the Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine in 1962. Even though Rosalind Franklin was the first to discover the double helix structure of DNA, she was never recognized for it.
In 1951 Rosalind Franklin made X-ray diffraction photographs of DNA fibers. The images showed for the first time, that DNA has two strands and a helical shape. Photo 51 became the most recognized, because it clearly demonstrated the structure. Her and her colleague, Maurice Wilkins did not get along well. He ended up showing Photograph 51 to her competitors, James Watson and Francis Crick. They used the image to create their famous model of DNA and published it in 1953. Rosalind Franklin was never recognized for he dedication towards her discovery, and gained nothing from her it.
Wilkins, Watson, and Crick all won the Nobel Prize in 1962 for Physiology and Medicine. Due to ovarian cancer in 1956, Rosalind Franklin passed away before they were awarded. The cause of the cancer was the radiation from the X-ray diffraction photographs she created. The Noble Prize could not have been awarded to her because she had already died, so she was not recognized for the discovery. Rosalind Franklin had a rough and tragic life. Her hard work and dedication was never properly recognized.
Daniela F.
TOK: DNA
ReplyDeleteThe discovery of the structure of DNA had been a long-lasting struggle between numerous scientists; some fairly recognized and others not. Rosalind Franklin, fitting into the category of those who were not awarded fairly, not only provided other scientists with the initial double helix structure, but also proved most of their theories wrong and her own correct.
Some scientists, such as Watson and Crick used the famous stick-and-ball models to test the possible DNA structures, while Franklin was using an X-ray diffraction. This X-ray method was surprisingly effective as the rays caused the DNA molecules to shine, therefore creating complicated patterns on the photographic film. This pattern was nothing less than the structure of the DNA molecule! Unfortunately, one of her co-workers, Wilkins, misunderstood her position in the DNA project (by not understanding that a woman at the time could be the leader of such a complicated project), and therefore took the photograph and showed it to Watson and Crick, without consulting Franklin first. The two men, as can be predicted, took advantage of the opportunity and “stole” all her ideas, which even contradicted their own. In fact, before this photograph was shown to these two scientists, they were almost convinced that DNA had triple-helical structure and that the bases were on the outside, but of course they were proven wrong. Having said this, it is clear that Franklin should have been acknowledged for her crucial and innovating discoveries that she, alone, found.
A day after studying this photograph, Watson and Crick published an article on “their” incredible discoveries in the Nature magazine, giving Franklin barely any credit for it. In fact, she published a secondary and unimportant article that only supported the main one, having to hide from her true work. What could she do? She was a woman in the 1950’s, who had no right at the time to claim her own work.
It is completely inappropriate and truly unfair that Franklin was not recognized as the main discoverer of the DNA structure, as she proved everyone wrong by showing that DNA had a double helix structure with bases on the inside of the molecule. She not only inspired the other scientists to discovering the structure, but she also paved the way to the new molecular biology, in which genes, for example, would be studied and manipulated in the future. For all these reasons, Franklin should have been the scientist awarded for discovering the complex structure of DNA, with no more than some help from the other three men.
Claudia M.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTok, To what extent did Rosalind Franklin take in the discovery of structure of DNA?
ReplyDeleteAccording to the controversy around the structure of DNA, one might argue that Rosalind Franklin should have been awarded the Nobel prize for Medicine and Physiology in 1962 instead of Maurice Wilkins, James Watson, and Francis Crick. She should have been awarded the Nobel prize primarily than any other scientists; she played a significant role in discovering the structure of DNA, and different from them three, Franklin was able to determine the structure of DNA independently.
In the first place, Wilkins, Watson, and Crick won the Nobel prize for discovering the structure of DNA in 1953- a determination that was largely based upon Franklin's data. For example, Wilkins shared one of Franklins data; X-ray diffraction image to Watson without giving any credit to her. In addition, Wilkins did not only share the X-ray image, but also shared Franklin's insights gained from X- ray diffraction images. Evidently, those information were affective to Watson and Crick developing their model for the structure of DNA. Therefore, Franklin owns a handful credit to the discovery of DNA structure. Also, contrasting to Watson and Crick, majority of Franklins data was determined independently. Her unpublished draft papers show that she had independently determined the overall B-form of the DNA helix.
Given these points Rosalind Franklin is shown to be a significant scientist who influenced the structure of DNA more than any other scientists. Without her, Wilkins, Watson, and Crick could not have figured out the structure of DNA since their determination was basically based upon Franklin's original data. As a result, she should be awarded the Nobel prize even though she is dead.
Daseul K.
The discovery of DNA was one of the most significant developments in the twentieth century. DNA, scientifically knows as deoxyribonucleic acid is a double helix molecule that codes for the genetic instructions that distinguish all living beings. DNA is what makes every human, or living organism in the world different. The discovery od DNA caused many controversy’s.
ReplyDeleteRosalind Franklin was a British biophysicist and X-ray crystallographer born on July 26th 1920, she was a major contribution in the understanding of the structure of DNA. Rosalind’s x-ray image of DNA led to the discovery of the DNA double helix. Francis Crick and James Watson later created a model of DNA using Rosalind’s studies as a key. Franklin died at age 37 of cancer. Even though Franklin was a major part in the discovery and understanding of DNA, she was not awarded the Nobel Prize because of her death and because at that time women weren’t very active in businesses therefore if she was still alive she would of probably not gotten a Nobel Prize which means she would have never gotten the recognition she deserved.
I think that Franklin should have received the Nobel Prize and/or more acknowledgements for her work because without her discovery and understanding Crick and Watson wouldn’t have done anything. She was the beginning and therefore one of the most important scientists in the discovery of DNA and deserved to be acknowledged for that. The fact that she was a woman or that she was dead should not have an effect on the recognition she should get.
Camila M.
The double helix structure of DNA was a significant discovery in the scientific world which improved the understanding of Molecular Biology. Yet, there is a great controversy about who really discovered this molecular structure, because many people believe that James Watson and Francis Crick were the first scientists that discovered it in the 1950s, with the collaboration of Maurice Wilkins. However, I believe that it is not completely true, because in order to carry out this diagnosis, they had to heavily rely on Rosalind Franklin's work about the x-ray diffraction photographs. The actual discovery of DNA structure was mostly contributed by Rosalind Franklin, but unfortunately, she could not been awarded.
ReplyDeleteRosalind Franklin was a young female scientist, who was offered to participate in a team of scientists studying living cells in King's College, London. She made lots of advances in x-rays diffraction techniques that let her discover important facts about DNA structure. However, there was a lack of clear communication between Franklin and the other scientists that participated in the research. The second in command scientist Maurice Wilkins believed that he was the responsible to carry out this project and that she was just to assist her work, so he shared Franklin's data with James Watson and Francis Crick without her knowledge. This information let them create a visual model of DNA and they received the Nobel Prize for Medicine and Psychology in 1962 along with Wilkins, while Rosalind Franklin did not. In addition, the differences between the role of women and men were still prevalent at that time period, and it was hard for Franklin to be accepted. This was a disadvantage for Franklin, as a woman whose carrier was a scientist.
Rosalind Franklin, who put more effort than anyone in her studies, died of ovarian cancer due to the radiation produced by her images. A few years after her death, Wilkins, Crick and Watson received their Nobel Prize, while Franklin was not even recognized for her hard work. I believe that this was unfair, because in order to carry out the research on the DNA structure, they depended on Franklin's work, and she should have been acknowledged for that.
Yeri C.
Rosalind Elsie Franklin was a British biophysicist and X-ray crystallographer born on July 25, 1920 and died April 16, 1958 due to ovarian cancer. She is best known for her work on the X-ray diffraction images of DNA which led to the discovery of the DNA double helix. This discovery was one of the greatest discoveries in the history of science. It led to a greater understanding of our bodies and our genes.
ReplyDeleteFranklin was a young woman, who worked hard. She used a new fine focus X-ray tube and micro-camera (which she refined, adjusted and focused carefully) to discover that there were two forms of DNA, later called DNA “B” and “A”. Her images were crucial to determine the structure of DNA, and these were shown, without her knowledge or permission, to Watson by Wilkins. Later, Wilkins, Watson, and Crick based their DNA model on her images and experimental data, not giving Franklin any credit. The greatest controversy, though, arose after her death, when Wilkins, Watson, and Crick were awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology. Her work would only get credit later on (twenty-five years later), when Watson published The Double Helix.
At the time though, Franklin got no credit for her discovery. Since she was a woman, she was victim of sexism and therefore was not given the same opportunities. Her work was overlooked and undermined. I believe that Franklin should have received credit for her discovery then, not twenty-five years after her death. She died without getting any recognition for her hard work.
MatildeT C.
Maurice Wilkins, James Watson, Francis Crick, and Rosalind Franklin were all important figures in the development of the structure of DNA. At the time, the latter one was not recognized for her work probably because of the social differences and the sexist overtones that existed in the scientific community. Her discoveries were not without controversy, and her role was crucial in the development of the helix structure, yet she died anonymously of ovarian cancer in 1958 while her colleagues went on to win the Nobel Prize.
ReplyDeleteFranklin worked at London’s King’s College, where she used her x-ray diffraction techniques on DNA fibers. Her techniques were very effective, and she was able to produce the famous Photograph 51, which proved to be crucial in the discovery of the double helix. The prominent scientist John Bernal said, “ Her photographs were amongst the most beautiful X-ray photographs of any substance ever taken.” During her time in King’s College she met Maurice Wilkins, with whom she had a strained personal relationship. This caused Wilkins to show the competing scientist, James Watson, her Photograph 51. The photograph was the last piece of the puzzle for Watson and his colleague Crick. They soon published an article on the double helix, taking most credit for the discovery of the DNA structure. Franklin’s work was merely recognized and her article was published as supporting evidence to Watson’s, Wilkin’s, and Crick’s discovery. Franklin would die in 1958 and the three men would later win the Nobel Prize of 1962 for their work.
We will never know if Watson would not have made the discovery of the DNA structure if it were not for Franklin’s photo yet it is clear that she was not attributed the credit she deserved. Franklin was an exceptional scientist, and she made important contributions to the eradication of the tobacco mosaic virus and polio as well as her insight into the double helix and RNA. The legacy of her work continues today.
Jaime M.
There is probably no other woman known with as much controversy as Rosalind Franklin. From an early age, Franklin excelled at science and attended one of the few girl schools which only taught science (chemistry and physics ).At the age of 15, she was keen on becoming a famous scientist. However, her dad was against higher education for women, and as a result, he desired for her to be a social worker. At the end, he gave up. Rosalind spent several years studying science at Cambridge, Paris and King‘s College in London. She had always been concerned with matters referring DNA. She was soon given responsibility by his science peer Maurice, with whom he also had a personal relationship, in order to discover DNA. She would soon make a life changing discovery. Two years later, she anonymously died of cancer in 1958.
ReplyDeleteWatson and Crick are two male scientists of the time who have also been accredited for the discovery of DNA. These two men saw a picture of DNA and they later published an article in which they set forward their ideas on the structure of DNA, which were directly copied from Franklin ‘s. Franklin ´s ideas were only used as supporting evidence for the other two men ´s work. Wilkins, Crick and Watson were later awarded the Nobel Prize in 1962.
There is a huge debate concerning whether Rosalind was given enough credit for being part of the discovery of DNA. She was without doubt, a scientist of the first rank. She first had to overcome the opposition of her father in order to become a famous scientist. Taking into consideration the difficulty for women to obtain a decent job during those years, Franklin was very lucky and fortunate to find a job, even if people still debate that she could have got more credit for her important achievements. The Nobel Prize in 1962 was harshly criticized for not giving Franklin any credit, even if she was already dead. People‘s perception of Franklin was not the best and her reputation suffered because of sexism.
Diego MC
Rosalind Franklin was born in London, England, July 25, 1920. She came from a Jewish family. Ever since she was 15 she wanted to pursue her dream and be a scientist. She attended one of the only girls schools in London at the time for a high level of chemistry and physics. Even though her father did not believe in academic opportunities for women Rosalind was persistent and kept going. She went to Newnham College and then worked in British Coal Utilisation Research Association. She earned her P.H.D in Cambridge at the same time, what a woman! Later, she went to Paris where she learned to take X-Ray photos of crystals. This would give her the skills needed to take a photo of DNA.
ReplyDeleteFinally, she started working at King's College, where she would make a huge scientific discovery. She took photos of DNA in form A and B. The famous photo 51 came from the form B.The photo was obtained by making the machine, which Franklin had made and exposing DNA for 100 hours! Although she was doing so good she could not solve the problem, what did DNA look like in a 3D model? The evidence was there but she could not make any concluding statements. Her "colleague" Wilkins saw the photos and was amazed. He betrayed his friend and showed the photos to Crick and Watson, two scientists trying to figure out the same problem, so therefore competition. Watson saw it, DNA was a double helix. He later on published many articles about it and took most of the credit. He also won a Nobel Prize. He did not give much credit to Wilkins and Franklin, most importantly. Their names were the ones I thought of for the discovery of DNA. This controversy continues today. It is hard to say who deserves the credit.
All in all, I believe nobody deserves full credit. I think that without all four scientists the discovery would not have been made. They were all extremely talented and knew a lot. The only problem is Franklin did not get enough credit. By writing this, I realize today we give her a fair amount of credit. I would say she deserved half of it and the other three deserved the other half. I do not think it was fair at the time though. She could not stand up for herself. She was definitely an admirable person, due to her persistence and great intelligence.
Daniel M.
The situation was simple. Sexism was an accepted way of life in the time, in every aspect of life. When Maurice Wilkins, Francis Crick, and James Watson made public "their" studies on DNA nobody questioned them. The slander against Rosalind Franklin in the work they published was not given a second thought.
ReplyDeleteFranklin, making incredible progress in her laboratory in May of 1952, took a picture that aided her studies even further: Photo 51. It was the first photograph to show DNA's double-helix structure. Wilkins wasn't very fond of Franklin, so he showed the ground-breaking photograph to fellow scientists Watson and Crick. This helped them as evidence to finish their scientific paper. The three men took the credit, only minimally citing Franklin in their work. Franklin carried on working in her laboratory and making advances in each of the projects she immersed herself into until she died. Ironically, it was probably the radiation which surrounded her every day. After her death, Wilkins, Crick, and Watson obtained a Nobel Prize for their achievements.
Simply put, Rosalind Franklin's innovative discoveries did not receive enough credit, regardless of whether the men would have reached the same conclusions without the photograph or not. In the future, hopefully, people will become aware of this problem in society and strive for a more just system so that the talent of people like Franklin doesn't go unnoticed again.
Rocío C.
There is a woman, who discovered the shape of DNA and it is a double strand. Her name is Chemist Rosalind Franklin. She discovered DNA by using X-ray, while Watson and Crick were using different method and most of scientist used their way. In that time period, women are usually positioned under all men, so Rosalind Franklin also had suffered from Watson particularly that he called her witch and never accepted her research.
ReplyDeletePeople often discuss whether she discovered DNA's shape because she is a woman and has different point of view or not. This occurs because it was quite rare to achieve a woman scientist and in fact, she is from poor family, low social position in that period. Some people regard that she achieved the discovery of DNA shape by having a different way of thinking or just because she is a woman scientist.
The reason of why she could discovered DNA was mostly because she was a woman scientist and had different way of thinking from others. Other scientist never though using X-ray for their research and it was shocked when she used it. Moreover, she is from poor family and went Cambridge by the scholarship and she these social position influenced her to think that way. Although Watson criticized her in his book, she never listened these people and continued her research. Her mental strength could also from the fact that she is poor and a woman.
Konomi U.
The Structure of DNA is the shortcut for Deoxyribonucleic acid. DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. Nearly every cell in a person’s body has the same DNA. Most DNA is located in the cell nucleus (where it is called nuclear DNA), but a small amount of DNA can also be found in the mitochondria (where it is called mitochondrial DNA).
ReplyDeleteFranklin was an important British biophysicist and X-ray crystallographer. She is best known for her work on the X-ray diffraction images of DNA which led to a better understanding of the DNA. However, some co-workers found out about the discovery of the DNA double helix. Therefore, Franklin's images of X-ray diffraction confirming the helical structure of DNA were shown to Watson without her approval or knowledge. Francis Crick and Watson used her data to determine the structure of DNA. In April 1953, they presented the structure of the DNA-helix. Nine years later, in 1962, they shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Maurice Wilkins, for solving one of the most important of all biological problems.
Truly the Nobel Prize should have also been awarded to Rosalind Franklin, since her experimental data provided a very important piece of evidence leading to the solving of the DNA structure. Recently, in an interview with the magazine Scientific American, Watson himself suggested that "it might have been a good idea to give Wilkins and Franklin the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and him and Crick the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine" – in that way all four would have received credit. In my opinion, the Nobel Prize should have been awarded to her in the first place. However given the time period of her discovery and also being a woman at that time, is one of the reasons she could not achieve it.
Santi Z.
DNA is one of the most fundamental ideas in biology and it’s discovery in the mid 1900’s triggered a major revolution in the scientific realm. Both James Watson and Francis Crick received the majority of credit for this discovery while others such as Rosalind Franklin didn't’t, in my opinion, get the right recognition for their work.
ReplyDeleteRosalind Franklin was a chemist in the 1950’s. She specialized in work with X-Rays and found that there were two strands in DNA. She, essentially, discovered what DNA was. Maurice Wilkins, who was working with her, took the proof of this structure and shared it with Watson and Crick who created and published their own models of DNA. Later, in 1956, Franklin died of cancer. Watson, Crick and Wilkins all received noble prizes while Franklin passed away, unrecognized. This, to me, is unfair; Franklin was the one who took the x-rays, and died as a result of her effort and dedication, yet she was not noted, at least in her lifetime, as the one to discover DNA. Without her, Cricks and Watson would never have come up with their models.
This incident shows the sexism that was present in the working field during the mid 1900’s and how the distribution of knowledge is important in science. All and all, while the discovery of DNA was attributed to the wrong people, it still stands as a turning point in modern science and is something that has lead to broader understanding of all living things.
Cooper D.
Many people believe that American biologist James Watson and English physicist Francis Crick discovered DNA in the 1950s. In reality, this is not the case. Rather, DNA was first identified in the late 1860s by Swiss chemist Friedrich Miescher. Then, in the decades following Miescher's discovery, other scientists--notably, Phoebus Levene and Erwin Chargaff--carried out a series of research efforts that revealed additional details about the DNA molecule, including its primary chemical components and the ways in which they joined with one another. Without the scientific foundation provided by these pioneers, Watson and Crick may never have reached their groundbreaking conclusion of 1953: that the DNA molecule exists in the form of a three-dimensional double helix.
ReplyDeleteHowever, Wade asserted that there is a "mythology" around Franklin’s contributions to the work that distorts the actual history of what occurred, implying that the credit truly belongs where it stands in the record books. He also contended that, as Franklin was unaware of any unauthorized sharing of her data with Wilkins, Watson and Crick, and thus did not feel wronged, no wrong-doing occurred. Same as my opinion I think this was the reason why she was "wronged".
Byung H
DNA is the fundamental part of an organism, it was discovered in 1869 by a Swiss chemist Friedrich Miescher, and it was not that incredible until the arrival of Watson, Crick, Wilkins and Rosalind Franklin who later on discovered the doble helix that allowed modern scientist to modify the genes of a ADN.
ReplyDeleteRosalind Franklin was a British chemist and crystallographer. She is know because of her discovery of the doble helix structure of the ADN by using X-rays. However, Maurice Wilkins took over her pictures of ADN without her permission and show it to Francis Crick. Rosalind Franklin died of ovary cancer, which she did not receive the Nobel Prize of Medicine and Physiology. But without the help of Rosalind (DNA has two strings), Watson and Crick could never discover the doble helix structure from the DNA.
In my opinion, Rosalind should not get the Nobel Prize, because the prize was given in 1962 and she was already dead and of course rules are the rules; only three people could get the Nobel Prize and there were three people already: Watson, Crick and Wilson.
Hao C
Rosalind Elsie Franklin was a British biophysics and X-ray crystallographer who contributed to the understanding the structures of DNA, RNA, viruses, coal and graphite. DNA plays an essential role in cell metabolism and genetics, and the discovery of its structure helped her co-workers understand how genetic information is passed from parents to their offspring. But she is best known for her work on the X-ray diffraction images of DNA. This led to the discovery of the DNA double helix. Her data was key to determining the structure to formulate Crick and Watson´s model regarding the structure of DNA- Franklin's images of X-ray diffraction confirmed the helical structure of DNA. Even though this image and her accurate interpretation of the data provided great insight into the DNA structure Franklin's scientific contributions to the discovery of the double helix are often overlooked and not counted or taken into consideration.
ReplyDeleteMaurice Hugh Frederick Wilkins was an English physicist and molecular biologist and his research contributed to the scientific understanding of phosphorescence, isotope separation, optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction and the development of radar. He is best known for his work on the structure of DNA. This includes producing the first clear X-ray images of DNA in 1950–51, producing clear "X" shaped images from squid sperm in 1952 and from 1953 onwards, leading a major project to test, verify and make corrections to the model by Watson and Crick. Wilkins was consistent in his belief that DNA was helical even when Rosalind Franklin said the contrary. In 1953 Franklin gave Wilkins, without condition, a new high quality image of "B" form DNA. Wilkins showed this to Watson because it supported helical results he had already obtained.
James Dewey Watson is an American molecular biologist, geneticist and zoologist. He is the best known as a co-discoverer of the structure of DNA in 1953 with Francis Crick. Watson, Crick, and Wilkins were awarded the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Francis Harry Compton Crick was an English molecular biologist, biophysicist, and neuroscientist most noted for being a co-discoverer of the structure of the DNA molecule in 1953 with Watson. He, Watson, and Wilkins were jointly awarded the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, "for their discoveries concerning the molecular structure of nucleic acids and its significance for information transfer in living material".
I believe these 4 scientist are all important and that all their contributions were greatly significant to the discovery of the structure of DNA. But I believe Rosalind Franklin was given little or no credit at all when it came to recognizing them for the discovery and giving them the prize. She was one of the four that helped the most and there was no recognition given to her.
Cristina C.
Alive at a time in which woman were often overlooked, Rosalind Franklin contributed to a discovery that has helped shaped what we know today about our bodies. Born on July 25, 1920 in Notting Hill, London, Franklin excelled in her studies and she later went on to study chemistry in Cambridge. In February of 1953 she began working with Francis Crick and James D. Watson to build a model of the B form of DNA, but at the same time she wanted to transfer to Birkbeck College. She completed her model of the double helix DNA, but she wanted more evidence as to how specific it was. Once she transferred, she started to use x-ray crystallography to study the structure of the tobacco mosaic virus. When she died at age 37 of ovarian cancer, a lot of controversy arose as to whether she had received enough recognition to the contribution of the DNA model.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, Rosalind Franklin was an exquisite scientist that was beyond the expectations of a woman at that time. Because of her contribution and studies, i think that she should have received more recognition than she did. Just because she was a woman doesn’t mean that she wasn’t as important or capable of accomplishing as much as men, and that if anyone should be awarded for the presentation of a double-helix DNA model, it should be Franklin. With many powerful men during those generations, it is understandable why she would be overlooked, but i still do not think it was the correct choice. Even if she has already passed away, i think it is important for Rosalind Franklin to be known as someone who gave most of her time in order for students now to understand the basic structure of DNA.
Tina Z
Rosalind Elsie Franklin was a British biophysic and X-Ray expert. To my understanding, she was the first to discover that the DNA had two strands and in my opinion, was not giving nearly enough credit. She discovered this in the 1950's but all the credit was given to Maurice Wilkes, James Watson and Francis Crick. Wilkes was the one who showed the x-rays to Watson with out her knowledge and since she died at the age of 36 in 1956, They had no reason to include her in the discovery. Wilkes, James and Crick all received Noble prizes for the discovery while Franklin did not even get mentioned.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it was debated whether she would have received a prize for her discovery because she was a woman, is still not resolved. I think that she should have received full credit for the discovery since, she might have died due to the radiation of the X-Rays that caused her ovary cancer to grow while discovering the DNA. She should have gotten more recognition and praise.
Cassia E.
The controversy of the discovery of the shape of DNA is about who the discovery was credited to. Because Rosalind Franklin discovered the actual shape of DNA, but by the time everyone was credited with the discovery of the shape of DNA. She was dead, so she did not get credited with its discovery, there is also controversy about how she would not have not gotten credit, or as much as the other people, because she was female. Yes I do think she was wronged by not being credited as one of the people that discovered it, because she was.
ReplyDeleteReece H.
Rosalind Franklin was a chemist who began working on the structure of the DNA in the early 1950's. She concentrated her work in x-rays that revealed the arrangements of atoms in molecules. With this she managed to discover key features of the structure of the DNA. But later was betrayed by her colleague, Maurice Wilkins, by showing Franklin's work to James Watts which took him and Francis Crick to create the first model of the structure of DNA. Later on in 1962, Wilkins, Watts and Crick all received a Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology. I find completely unfair that Rosalind Franklin had to die because of the cancer she got from being exposed to the x-rays she did to contribute in a huge part of the DNA's structure and was not given an award nor the recognition she deserved.
ReplyDeleteIlona P.
Rosalind Franklin, a female chemist that worked on the structure of DNA. Franklin soon made a discovery of key features of the structure of DNA. The fact that there were two stands in DNA and that the bases were on the inside of the molecule. Franklin did not get the fair credit for her discovery since at the time woman were considered second class citizens and there for she did not get the credit she really deserved.
ReplyDeleteOnce Wilkins and and Watson shared Franklins discovery they got all the credit for it. They even recovered the Nobel Prize for the discovery that they did not even make just took credit for.
Sarah M.
Rosalind Franklin Made a huge discovery! she was a feamale chemist that worked on genes and DNA all her studies let her to discover that DNA had two strands and that their bases were inside the molecule. Franklin lived in a time where females were second class to the male population and that is the reason she did not get the recognition and credit she trully deserved. When fellow chemist Wilkins and Watson shared her knowledge and discovery they won a Nobel Prize, getting all the recogniton and i think stealing her work. Wilkins and Watson did not make the discovery and it is unfair that for just being a woman Rosalind could not get the credit for such an important finidng! I wonder how many more women discoverd and created grate things that they were just never given credit for...
ReplyDeleteAnna B