I have had some trouble looking for this so has anybody got the name of the person as when i search for this it comes up with 6 different names.
Could somebody help?

It's always difficult to say for definite in these circumstances, because some people lay the groundwork, then others add bits, and often the last piece of the jigsaw is really quite small ... so who DISCOVERED the thing?

In the end, the Nobel prize was given to Francis Crick, James Watson and Maurice Wilkins, so it is fairly official they it was THEY who 'discovered' DNA.

However, most the the breakthrough work, historians are generally agreed, came from a woman, Rosalind Franklin. Personality failings and a degree of treachery, it must be said, meant, however, that she was beaten to the 'final success' by Crick and Watson.

This article tells you the whole story.


PS Don't forget to say please when you are asking for help.

Mr C is spot on:

Frankilin - work that led to it being developed as a concept etc....
Crick an Watson - major breakthrough, based on her ideas.

You could then take it into the 'next phase' of DNA understanding / use.... but thats not on the syllabus for Med Thru Time.

Epic fail from both repliers to the topic.

DNA was discovered in 1869 by Friedrich Miescher.

See here:
http://www.bizgraphic.ch/miescheriana/html...overed_dna.html


Watson and Crick worked out the structure of DNA. They did not discover DNA.

0 out of 10. See me after school.

Chris H is absolutel correct:

http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabe...kDNAMOLGEN.html gives the details on how 'some people laid the groundwork, then others added bits' until Crick and Watson provded 'the last piece of the jigsaw'.

sorry im totally confused,
who was it that discovered DNA because i thought it was a lady?

The lady you are referring to is mentioned above, Rosalind Franklin. She is now credited with having done the breakthrough work on the structure of DNA. However, as mentioned in the 4th post on this thread, DNA was originally discovered by Friedrich Miescher.

Have a look at the webpages mentioned for more detail, or do a websearch on Rosalind Franklin.

There is a conspiracy theory - supported in a TV programme a couple of years ago - that it was she who REALLY discovered DNA, but was cheated out of it by thieving MEN!!!
Read this article.