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Rosalind Franklin. “The woman behind the double helix”. Who is Rosalind Franklin?. Born on July 25, 1920 She was from a prominent Anglo-Jewish family. She always liked facts, and was very logical and precise. She decided to become a scientist when she was 15.
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Rosalind Franklin “The woman behind the double helix”
Who is Rosalind Franklin? • Born on July 25, 1920 • She was from a prominent Anglo-Jewish family. • She always liked facts, and was very logical and precise. • She decided to become a scientist when she was 15. • Her family was very active in charities and community services.
Her education • In 1938, she passed the admissions exam to Cambridge University. • She attended Cambridge with the help of her aunt. • She graduated with a Ph. D. in 1945. • In 1951, she went on to work as a research associate for John Randall at King’s College in London, where her most important discovery was made.
Famous Discovery • Discovered that DNA has an A and B form. • Discovered the structure of DNA. (Photo 51) • Use the technique of x-ray crystallography to break down the A and B form of DNA. • Learned where the sugar-phosphate backbone was located.
What exactly is DNA? According to dictionary.com, DNA, or “Deoxyribonucleic acid, is a self-replicating material present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent of chromosomes. It is the carrier of genetic information.”
Science was a man’s world • Although she discovered the DNA structure, she was not given credit for it until after her death. • Watson, Crick, and Wilkins received credit and the Nobel Prize for determining the structure of DNA and the bases pairing within the helix. • After her death, Watson and Crick admitted that they could not have done it without her. James Watson, Francis Crick, Maurice Wilkins, and Rosalind Franklin
Remembering Rosalind Franklin1920-1958 • http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=90975&title=THE_WOMAN_BEHIND_THE_HELIX • She died of ovarian cancer at age 37, before she could even realize the magnitude of her work.
Impact on the Nature of Science • Because of her discovery, the human genome project was made possible. • The age-old question about heredity was solved. • Advances for women were made. Most women of her day were not scientists. • Today 40% of science majors are women, but few continue their education. • Women are accepted in the science field, more so than Rosalind Franklin.
References • 1952., DNA, m. w., & as, i. i. (n.d.). Rosalind Franklin (1920 - 1958). Access Excellence @ the National Health Museum. Retrieved September 11, 2011, from http://www.accessexcellence.org • A science odyssey: People and discoveries: Rosalind Franklin . (n.d.). PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. Retrieved September 11, 2011, from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/data • Kelley, S. O. (n.d.). A milestone for science, and for women . Boston College. Retrieved September 11, 2011, from http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/rvp/pubaf/ • The importance of DNA. (n.d.).Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. Retrieved September 11, 2011, from www.rosalindfranklin.edu/dnn/po • Wilkins. (n.d.). The Rosalind Franklin papers: Biographical information. Profiles in Science. Retrieved September 11, 2011, from http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/ps/retrieve/Narrative/KR/p-nid/183