Science Common Sense

1637 - What is the development history of confirming DNA as the genetic material from the perspective of the history of science?

Let's go back in time.

In 1865, a scientist named Gregor Mendel discovered that traits, like the color of flowers, are passed from parents to offspring through something he called 'factors'. Later, people called these 'genes'.

In 1869, a scientist named Friedrich Miescher found a substance in white blood cells called DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). He didn't know what it did, but it was interesting.

In 1919, a scientist named Phoebus Levene figured out that DNA was made up of four basic parts: A, C, G, and T. He thought DNA was just a boring molecule with no special job.

But in 1944, scientists like Oswald Avery and his team proved that DNA was actually special. They showed that DNA can change the traits of bacteria. This made scientists think that DNA might be the genetic material that Mendel was talking about.

In 1952, scientists like Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase did an experiment that confirmed DNA was the genetic material. They found that when viruses infect cells, it's the DNA that does the work, not proteins.

Finally, in 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick figured out the 3D shape of DNA, which is like a twisted ladder (the double helix). This shape helps explain how DNA works and proves that it's the genetic material.

So, it took scientists over 80 years to figure out that DNA is the genetic material, but it was worth it. We now know that DNA is the instruction manual for all living things!