The Path to the Double Helix: The Discovery of DNAThe 1953 discovery by James Watson and Francis Crick of the molecular structure of DNA ranks among the most dramatic events in the history of science. In this lively, perceptive, and scholarly study, a noted historian of science provides the first in-depth account of this milestone's achievement. Combining scientific and historical approaches, the narrative vividly recaptures the excitement of the conceptualization and evolution of ideas that led to the discovery of the genetic "secret of life." The story unfolds along several major lines: long-chain macromolecules; nucleic acids; bacterial transformations; the intellectual evolutions of physicists, chemists, and biologists; and the cross-pollination of scientific disciplines that unlocked the structural secrets of DNA. Francis Crick provides an illuminating Foreword for this abundantly illustrated and thought-provoking retelling of a great scientific detective story. |
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adenine amino acids Astbury Astbury's atoms Avery Avery's axis bacterial bases Beadle Bernal birefringence Boivin Bragg Caltech Cambridge Caspersson cellulose cent Chargaff Chem chemical chemist chemistry chromatin chromosomes colloidal Corey crystal crystalline crystallography cytosine Darlington Delbrück diagram diffraction discovery Double Helix enzyme evidence Fankuchen fibre Fourier Franklin Garrod gene genetic Gosling Griffith guanine helical hydrogen bonds Ibid Institute keratin laboratory later Leeds letter Levene Luria McCarty metabolism Mirsky molecular biology molecular weight molecules mutation nature nucleic acid nucleoprotein nucleotides organic pairing paper particles pattern Pauling Pauling's Perutz phage phosphate physicist physics picture pneumococcus polymers polypeptide polypeptide chain possible problem protein purine pyrimidine replication residues Rockefeller Schrödinger sequence specific sperm Staudinger structure substance suggested synthesis technique tetranucleotide theory thymine thymonucleic acid transformation ultraviolet unit cell virus viruses Watson and Crick Wilkins wrote X-ray X-ray crystallography