Rosalind Franklin Essay - 1250 Words

Rosalind Franklin As hard as is it is today for women to succeed in the sciences, one must give kudos to those that came before us. These are the women that paved the way for todays generation of women scientists. One such woman is Rosalind Elsie Franklin, a chemist who had a great impact on the modern day field of genetics. Rosalind was the second of five children. She was born on July 25, 1920 in London. The Franklins were an upper-class family who lived a life of luxury. Rosalind never even had to go to school - she would have been provided for from her familys wealth. As a child, she never felt like she was understood. She hated pretend games and did not play with dolls. Rosalind had to find the facts behind everything†¦show more content†¦Her Research at BCURA focused on how coal could be used most efficiently. Based on this research, she earned a Ph.D. from Cambridge in 1945 (McGrayne, 1993). To better understand the complex crystals in coal, Rosalind started using x-ray crystallography. She became an expert at using this technology. In 1947, Rosalind moved to France. These years were the happiest of her life. She traveled Europe extensively and had fun with friends. While she was in the prime of her life and could have been married with a family, she chose not to. Rosalind loved children and would not have someone else raise them. This commitment was not enough to make her give up her true love - science. Rosalind headed back home to England in 1950. A physicist, John Randall of Kings College, invited Rosalind into his research group. He told her that her sole project would be to investigate the structure of certain biological fibres, meaning DNA. This is where a man named Maurice Wilkins first entered the picture. He was also a research associate in this group and played a controversial role later in Rosalinds life (McGrayne, 1993). While at Kings, Rosalind discovered much about DNA. Working with her graduate student, Raymond Gosling, she took the X-ray photographs that would eventually lead to the helix theory of DNA. But she also made other key discoveries. First, she determined that DNA was found in two distinct forms, the wet and dry forms. Gosling had photographed the dryShow MoreRelatedThe Contributions Of Rosalind Franklin940 Words   |  4 PagesRosalind Franklin was a chemist who made a profound contribution as a result of her work with DNA. Prior to this time, DNA was still a mystery in how impactful its purpose could be to society and the growing age of science and technology. DNA became of importance to learn about the foundation in relation to genetic and hereditary. Without the contribution of Franklin, todays understanding of the DNA structure would not exist. Rosalind Franklin died before the Nobel Peace Prize was given for the discoveryRead MoreRosalind Franklin Essay1372 Words   |  6 Pages Rosalind Franklin When you think of who discovered DNA, the names Watson and Cricke may come to mind. In reality, many other scientists research lead to their discovery. That information was not necessarily given freely. When Watson saw a picture of DNA taken by Rosalind Franklin a light bulb went on. It was then that he realized exactly what it looked like and was able to publish his results. Unfortunately, Rosalind did not offer this information to Watson andRead MoreRosalind Franklin and the Nobel Prize572 Words   |  2 PagesIn considering whether or not Rosalind Franklin should have been acknowledged, along with Watson, Crick, and Wilkins, for the discovery of the double helix and awarded a Nobel Prize, one must look what qualifies someone to win a Nobel Prize. In order for someone to be awarded the Nobel Prize they must first meet the qualifications. The qualifications are endless, but somewhat simple. In this case the Nobel Prize is for science. This prize is chosen by a group of people, and they seek to choose peopleRead MoreThe Origin Of The Word Dna And The Science World Is Well Known Essay993 Words   |  4 Pagesin London on July 25, 1920 to a well-known Jewish family, Rosalind Franklin was noted for her cleverness and outspokenness. She was sent to St Paul’s Girls’ School which was known for its strict and demanding academics, which included amongst its subjects, phy sics and chemistry. School friends later recalled that she was â€Å"best in science, best at maths, best in everything.† http://www.livescience.com/39804-rosalind-franklin.html Rosalind’’s father wanted her to go into the line of social work, butRead MoreThe Competition for the Secret of Life in James D. Watson’s Novel the Double Helix786 Words   |  4 Pagesthe aid they need. When Watson and Crick ask Rosalind Franklin’s opinion on their model of DNA, the result they are looking for is far from what they had hoped: â€Å"Rosy did not give a hoot about the priority of the creation of the helical theory and, as Francis prattled on, she displayed increasing irritation,†(93-94). This race to discover one of the greatest phenomena in biology prevents the best scientists from cooperating because not only did Franklin degrade their initial model, but she did notRead MoreFrancis Crick s First Impression851 Words   |  4 Pagesalliance that obtained and used works of many prominent scientists such as Chargaff, Donohue, Wilkins, Franklin yet failed to give proper credit due to each one of them with a marginal exception of Wilki ns. †¢ Watson mentions British sense of fair play would not allow Francis Crick to move into the structure of DNA that was the subject of his friend Maurice Wilkins. †¢ Watson did not like Franklin from the very start as he painted a picture in his mind through the portrayal of Maurice Wilkins in theirRead MoreCharles Crick And James Watson On The Structure Of The Complex Molecule Known As Dna Essay1293 Words   |  6 Pages(Watson and Stent, 3). Watson’s personal account within The Double Helix introduces the significance of these scientific influences on his research and discovery of the DNA molecular structure. Without major scientific figures, such as Max Perutz, Rosalind Franklin, and Linus Pauling, the conceptualization of Watson and Crick’s DNA structure would not have successfully developed as it did in the 1950’s. Intrigued by Linus Pauling’s discovery of the alpha helix, Watson researched with many scientists toRead MoreBiology : Structure Of Dna818 Words   |  4 Pagesbonds they form with other atoms, and the angles at which these bonds form. The models Watson and Crick worked with incorporated all of this information.† (Stuart). So with the â€Å"The insight[s], innovation[s], and persistence of James Watson, Rosalind Franklin, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins led to a detailed understanding of the structure of DNA, the stuff that genes are made of (Fig. 1).† (Stuart). However, â€Å"†¦ the discovery of the structure of DNA is frequently attributed to Watson and CrickRead MoreThe Discovery Of The Structure Of Dna1089 Words   |  5 PagesRosalind Franklin and her Contribution to the Structure of DNA Specific Purpose: To enable the audience to reflect on how Rosalind Franklin contributed to the discovery of the structure of DNA. Introduction: I. Open with Impact: Could you having a significant role in one of the greatest scientific achievements of all time, but not getting credit for it? Not only that, but constantly putting yourself in harm’s way to make this discovery, and eventually dying because of it? II. Thesis Statement:Read MoreThe Discovery Of The Secret Of Life997 Words   |  4 PagesRosalind Franklin was a scientist who died before she realized and received recognition for her work with DNA. DNA was still a mystery in the beginning and the growing age of science and technology. There are also the ongoing world wars and the potential of future wars, which brings up the necessity of learning about DNA to treat viruses and diseases that may become contracted by soldiers. There is also the necessity of learning about DNA for genetic and hereditary purposes. DNA is the secret of