"Watson shared a 1962 Nobel prize with Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins for discovering that deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is a double helix, consisting of two strands that coil around each other to create what resembles a long, gently twisting ladder. That realization was a breakthrough. It instantly suggested how hereditary information is stored and how cells duplicate their DNA when they divide. The duplication begins with the two strands of DNA pulling apart like a zipper."
"The discovery helped open the door to more recent developments such as tinkering with the genetic makeup of living things, treating disease by inserting genes into patients, identifying human remains and criminal suspects from DNA samples and tracing family trees. But it has also raised a host of ethical questions, such as whether the body's blueprint should be altered for cosmetic reasons or in a way that is transmitted to a person's offspring."
James D. Watson co-discovered the twisted-ladder structure of DNA in 1953 at age 24 and shared the 1962 Nobel Prize with Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins. The double helix model explains how hereditary information is stored and how cells duplicate DNA, with strands pulling apart like a zipper. The double helix became a widely recognized symbol of science. The discovery enabled genetic engineering, gene therapy, forensic DNA identification and genealogical tracing. The breakthrough also created ethical dilemmas about altering the human genome, especially heritable changes and cosmetic modifications. Near the end of his life, Watson faced condemnation and professional censure for racist remarks. He died at age 97.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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