James D. Watson - Discovering the Double Helix

Discovering the Double Helix

In 1953 James Watson and Francis Crick discovered "the secret of life" in the form of the double-helical structure of DNA. Their research elucidated a central concept in the emerging field of biology: understanding the structure of a molecule reveals information about its function. DNA's double helix structure suggested a clear mechanism by which genes are replicated and living beings reproduce.