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Event / publication / experimentBranchesApril 1953

The double-helix structure of DNA

James WatsonFrancis CrickRosalind FranklinMaurice Wilkins

This page delivers no verdict; it presents claims and evidence with their sources. No theory in science is absolute. Method

For everyone

In 1953 Watson and Crick proposed that DNA, the molecule of heredity, is a double helix of two intertwined strands. The structure explained how DNA can copy itself. Rosalind Franklin's X-ray diffraction data were decisive in building the model; they had been shared without her knowledge.

For specialists

The model consists of two antiparallel sugar–phosphate backbones with A–T and G–C base pairs inside, which accounts for Chargaff's rules. The B-form diffraction pattern of Franklin and Gosling ("Photo 51") showed the helical symmetry and dimensions. The Meselson–Stahl experiment (1958) confirmed semi-conservative replication.

Claims

Evidence

Supporting

Experiment

X-ray diffraction patterns were consistent with a helical structure.[2]

Experiment

Replication of heavy-nitrogen-labelled DNA showed each new molecule contains one old and one new strand.[3]

Challenging

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Connections

Parent

Biology

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CRISPR gene editingThe complete human genome

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Sources

  1. ArticleWatson, J. D.; Crick, F. H. C. (1953). Molecular structure of nucleic acids: a structure for deoxyribose nucleic acid. Nature 171, 737–738DOI 10.1038/171737a0archive
  2. ArticleFranklin, R. E.; Gosling, R. G. (1953). Molecular configuration in sodium thymonucleate. Nature 171, 740–741DOI 10.1038/171740a0archive
  3. ArticleMeselson, M.; Stahl, F. W. (1958). The replication of DNA in Escherichia coli. PNAS 44(7), 671–682DOI 10.1073/pnas.44.7.671archive

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Cite this page

APA

Athena contributors. (2026). The double-helix structure of DNA. Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/dna/

BibTeX
@misc{athena_dna,
  title        = {The double-helix structure of DNA},
  author       = {{Athena contributors}},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/dna/}},
  note         = {Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Accessed: 2026-11-01}
}

Added: September 27, 2026 · Last changed: September 27, 2026 · Page history

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