Sophia Greenwood
Mrs. Rupertus
518-02
14 May 2023
Rosalind Franklin
Rosalind Franklin was an innovative female scientist and most renowned for her studies with the double helix structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) strands. Franklin was the first person to determine the arrangement of molecules in DNA using a technique called x-ray diffraction. X-ray diffraction is a method used to analyze the structure of materials at a molecular level and is a non-destructive procedure. (Encyclopedia Britannica - Britannica.com). Scholars today argue that James Watson and Francis Crick stole Franklin’s studies on the double helix, stating Watson and Crick used her unpublished data without Franklin’s permission or knowledge. Rosalind Franklin
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A specific photograph Franklin took was used by Watson and Crick as evidence to support their DNA model and took credit for Franklin’s work. Some argue that Franklin’s work was not confidential, however, Watson and Crick published a new model of the DNA code which included Franklin’s crystallography photograph and her research. She did not give them permission to use her work and the two men went on to win a Nobel Prize for Franklin’s research. The Nobel Prize was given to Watson and Crick “for their discoveries concerning the molecular structure of nucleic acids and its significance for information transfer in living material.” (The Nobel Prize - nobelprize.org). Although Watson and Crick used some of their own observations and data, Rosalind Franklin’s data played a significant role in their breakthrough. (Smithsonian Magazine - Smithsonianmag.org). The Nobel Prize was stolen from Rosalind Franklin despite her passionate and significant contributions to the field of biology and she did not earn any awards during her lifetime and her accomplishments went unrecognized during her short lifetime. Regardless, Franklin serves as a symbol of progression for female scientists and uncovered essential scientific discoveries. Unfortunately, Rosalind Franklin was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and died two years later on April 16, 1958 when she was only 37 years old. Rosalind Franklin contributed substantially to the advancement of science and identified the true structure of deoxyribonucleic acids. This advancement helped modern biology by providing insights into the genetic code as well as the synthesis of protein. Even though Franklin was not acknowledged for her meaningful work during her life, we can celebrate her achievements today and the societal standards she broke by becoming an impressive female