Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids: A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid

The determination in 1953 of the structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), with its two entwined helices and paired organic bases, was a tour de force in X-ray crystallography. But more significantly, it also opened the way for a deeper understanding of perhaps the most important biological process. In the words of Watson and Crick: It has not escaped our notice that the specific pairing that we have postulated immediately suggests a possible copying mechanism for the genetic material. [Obituary of Francis Crick: