The DNA Helix Changed How We Thought About Ourselves

The discovery of DNA was one of the most groundbreaking discoveries in science to date. There were many scientists who played crucial roles in the development of the discovery. Rosalind Franklin who did work on X-ray crystallography, Francis Crick a physicist, and James Watson, who was a geneticist. The discovery of DNA led to the question of how people thought about life before it was discovered. Before the discovery, many people would think of a “mysterious vital force” inside cells. It was apparent that traits were being passed down through generations, but it was not clear how that occurred. Darwin hypothesized that particles came from cells through the body into the sperm and eggs and created the next generation. Gregor Mendel then hypothesized that plants inherit colors and traits in a pretty clear, abundant ratio. Later, scientists envisioned these passed-on traits as genes; some saw genes as merely mathematical, while others thought they were physical molecules. It was also not agreed upon what exactly in the cell was the genetic code. 

    This is when James Watson discovered the shape of DNA. His work showed that DNA was a molecule that was made of two strands around each other, and was made of four molecular units called bases, which were used as a code for writing genes. He also discovered exactly how the DNA splits, and then it was later found by Crick that the code that cells use the encode genes in their DNA to build proteins. From there, it was discovered by other scientists that there are sometimes mistakes in the sequencing of DNA. These mistakes in the sequencing could lead to genetic disorders, and also lead to a molecular basis for evolution from natural selection.

Shortly after, Watson began working as the leader in the US government’s first attempts to sequence the human genome. Watson worked the job for only two years, but his work lives on and served as a brilliant beginning of scientists being able to sequence the human genome much quickly. This was important, and now doctors regularly check the genomes of patients to check for the presence of inherited diseases.

Watson, however, took his public platform to a controversial stance when he included his racial beliefs. He claimed publicly that there were genetic differences that made African American people less intelligent than white people. This was not supported by any study of the genome, but Watson claimed it was. Genetics today proves that race is not a good predictor of genetic variation in human populations.

The complexity and brilliance behind the discovery of DNA are groundbreaking. The breakthrough not only changed science but also how we as humans understand ourselves, and it was important for healthcare as well. It is so important to be able to use the analytics of the human genome to predict patterns of inheritance.

References:

Alberts, B. (1970, January 1). The structure and function of DNA. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 4th edition. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK26821/

Zimmer, C. (2025, November 7). The DNA helix changed how we thought about ourselves - The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/science/watson-dna-humanity.html