Rosalind Franklin Research Paper

Rosalind Franklin is one of many famous chemists, but several things set her apart from others. She was born on the 25th of July, 1920 in Notting Hill, London. At the age of only fifteen she had decided she wanted to be a scientist. She went to school at St.Paul’s Girls’ School. At her school she showed a high interest in physics and chemistry. After that, in 1938 she went to Newnham College and graduated in 1941.

In late 1946, Franklin was assigned to the Central Chemical Laboratory of the State Services in Paris. This is where she worked alongside crystallographer Jacques Mering. He taught her the skill which helps make her famous, X-ray diffraction. This information played a big part in her discovery of the structure of DNA. Furthermore,

Although, she decided to focus more on the DNA form A, this form is also known as the “dry” form. This particular form of DNA does not show the helical structure as well as form B, which is known as the “wet” form. Franklin first thought the DNA structure looked like a ladder with bonds between the bases of the rungs. On the 24th February 1953, she did record in her notebook that she had revised her estimated image of DNA to a three dimensional helix. In the November of 1951, Rosalind gave a speech about her revolutionary of a DNA’s backbone. She said that the DNA’s backbone lied on the outside of the molecule. Also, she said that the DNA’s basic shape was helical. Twenty five years later, the first clear contribution from Franklin appeared. The structure of DNA now know as the Double Helix, was hidden from sight under data that Franklin couldn’t interpret. In an issue of Nature was the first publication the less chaotic X-ray image of DNA. This image inspired many people to dig deeper into the history of DNA.

John Desmond Bernal a well-known scientist who pioneered in X-ray crystallography. About the time Franklin died he was spreading word of her significance. “As a scientist Miss Franklin was distinguished by extreme clarity and perfection in everything she undertook. Her photographs were among the most beautiful X-ray photographs of any substance ever taken. Their excellence was the fruit of extreme care in