A scientist by the name Rosalind Franklin was the first to discover a crucial piece of the DNA structure through which her contributions were never accounted for with James Watson and Francis Crick being hailed as individuals who discovered the DNA double helix structure. However, the secret of photo 51 which was presumably taken in the year 1951 was discovered 50 years later after it was taken, it showed the works of Rosalind where she had produced X-ray photography on the structure of DNA ( MrDavenportSCHS, 2016) . A technique known as X-ray crystallography was used to determine the 3D shape of molecules, and it was the first expertly executed experiment that predicted the helical structure of DNA.
The image produced by Rosalind, which was X-ray diffraction provided crucial information on the DNA Structure and later more discoveries on the functions of the DNA. For instance, Information needed to control and build the cell is stored by the DNA. Also, a process known as DNA replication aids in the transfer of information to cells of babies from their mother, besides it can be degraded through enzymes and used to produce nucleotides and nucleosides for the working of the cell. The diffraction pattern of DNA analysis shows a figure of 10bases per turn in the DNA structure, whereby the sugar-phosphate spacing builds minor and major grooves which proteins bound DNA. Furthermore, the binding of the proteins control regulation and transcription of DNA molecules into RNA, also leads to a change of DNA structure.
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A crucial element in the study of DNA is the protein structure which was realized through the decoding process whereby it begins with some data in the cellular DNA; these proteins work as catalysts in every biochemical reaction in the living organisms. The proteins decompose motor and a structural element in living cells; also, it is said that every gene in the DNA has a rare protein in the protein crystal Structure (Sinden, 2012). A common method of studying protein structures is by use of X-ray crystallography; the method involves placing of solid crystals which are purified in an X-ray beam whereby the X-ray patterns deflected is used to determine the atomic position.
References
MrDavenportSCHS, ( 19 Oct 2016). DNA Secret of Photo 51. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vw8Wrr-ykFc
Sinden, R. R. (2012). DNA structure and function. Elsevier.
