In 1953, scientists identified DNA’s structure as which shape? Explained
James Watson and Francis Crick, in 1953, revealed the iconic double helix configuration of DNA, a breakthrough founded on X-ray diffraction findings from Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins. This spiral staircase-like structure, where matched bases create the “steps” and sugar-phosphate backbones form the “sides,” elucidated the mechanisms of genetic information preservation and duplication. The unveiling transformed the field of biology, leading to the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for Watson, Crick, and Wilkins, with Franklin’s vital role gaining greater acknowledgment posthumously.