The double helix structure of DNA was discovered by James Watson and Francis Crick in 1953. This discovery was made possible by the use of X-ray diffraction images taken by Rosalind Franklin, who worked at King’s College London.
The discovery of the double helix structure of DNA helped to explain how genetic information is stored and replicated. It also led to the development of genetic engineering and the sequencing of the human genome.
James Watson and Francis Crick were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1962 for their discovery. The double helix structure of DNA is composed of two strands of nucleotides held together by hydrogen bonds. These nucleotides are arranged in a specific order that codes for the genetic information of an organism.
DNA is replicated by separating the two strands of the double helix and then using each strand as a template for synthesis of a new strand; this process takes place during cell division or mitosis. Mutations can occur in DNA when its nucleotide sequence is altered; these changes may lead to disease or cancer development if not corrected properly through natural selection processes within an organism’s lifetime span (this could happen if there were no evolutionary pressures against certain diseases).
