Discovered By: James Watson and Francis Crick

DNA or Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid is contained within all living cells. It is the molecule that contains the genetic information for each organism, using four bases Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, and Cytosine.
Watson and Crick, using key information from Rosalind Franklin’s X-ray diffraction photography of DNA, won the race to find the structure of DNA. Their theory held that DNA existed as a double helix, with the bases in the center. Their surprisingly short letter to Nature magazine describing their discovery was published on April 25^th 1953. Watson and Crick won the Nobel Prize in 1962 for their accomplishment.
The discovery of DNA’s structure has had an enormous impact on the world. Many new drugs and discoveries could not have been possible without this. Their discovery has greatly increased our understanding of biology, and has opened up many new fields including cloning, genetic engineering.

*Pictures from  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bioterror/germs.html and http://www.life.uiuc.edu/animalbiology/biohistory/helix.html, respectively.

Sources:
Biology in the 20^th Century. 12 Oct 2003. <http://www.life.uiuc.edu/animalbiology/biohistory/helix.html>

Miller, Judith, et al. Future Germ Defenses. 12 Oct 2003. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bioterror/germs.html>

Watson, J. D. and F. H. C. Crick. “Molecular structure of Nucleic Acids.” Nature 171 (1953): 737-738 (primary)

Wright, Robert. James Watson & Francis Crick. 12 Oct 2003. <http://www.time.com/time/time100/scientist/profile/watsoncrick02.html>

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