• Features
  • Books
  • Teaching
  • Blog
  • Digital & Film
  • IHS & Public History
  • Texas
  • About

The past is never dead. It's not even past

Not Even Past

  • Texas Middle & High School Students
    • Websites
    • Papers & Abstracts
    • Videos
    • Exhibits
    • Performances
  • Univ of Texas at Austin Students
    • Honors and Awards
    • Websites & Documentaries
    • Making History: Grad Students Speak

Rosalind Franklin and Her Contributions to the Discovery of the Structure of Deoxyribonucleic Acid

by Danielle Maldonado

Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958) was an English biophysicist who made critical scientific contributions to our knowledge of DNA. Her data enabled crucial breakthroughs in the field of biochemistry, notably the discovery of DNA’s double helix structure. For Texas History Day, Danielle Maldonado produced a video performance of Franklin’s life and work, outlining her achievements and explaining what life would have been like for the iconic scientist. You can watch her dramatic and historical performance here. Danielle argues that Fanklin’s work represented a major turning point in history:image

“Everyone knows who Dr. James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins are. If you don’t, they are credited with the discovery of the structure of DNA. They won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1962. Without the help of Rosalind Franklin, this great turning pointing in history wouldn’t have been possible. The base of genetic biochemistry was stabilized by Rosalind Franklin’s contributions to the discovery of the structure of DNA….This knowledge has helped scientists discover other biological breakthroughs that would’ve otherwise been impossible. Told from the viewpoint of Rosalind Franklin, she expresses the struggles of completing all the main research on her own and explains how many genetic advancements have been made since then. Rosalind Franklin’s work helped pave a new road for biochemistry to travel.”

“The base of genetic biochemistry was stabilized by Rosalind Franklin’s contributions to the discovery of the structure of DNA. This is a turning point in history, and is thus significant in history, because there is so little that we understand about human life. In the 21st century, being able to recognize and treat genetically inherited diseases and disorders impacts our lives greatly. The structure of DNA is one more puzzle we were able to solve, though not all puzzles are solvable. We may never be able to see the whole picture that lies at the end, but we will continue to piece it together, one strand of DNA at a time.”

Danielle Maldonado
Division II
Individual Performance

Photo Credits:

Rosalind Franklin performing an experiment (Image courtesy of Science Blogs)

Images used under Fair Use Guidelines

Posted July 1, 2013 More Students, Teaching, Texas Middle & High School Students, Videos

Author spotlight

NEP Author Spotlight - Alejandra Garza

January 13, 2021

More from Author-spotlight

Teaching

Colonial Latin America through objects: Teaching with Jorge Cañizares-Esguerra

November 20, 2020

More from Teaching

Digital & Film

Digital Archive Review: Latin American and Caribbean Digital Primary Resources

November 25, 2020

More from Digital & Film

Books

A Temperate Empire: Making Climate Change in Early America by Anya Zilberstein (2016)

Featured imageDecember 16, 2020

More Books

IHS & Public History

IHS Climate in Context - Climate by Proxy

December 15, 2020

More from IHS & Public History

Texas

Texas Hurricanes: Past, Present, and Future

January 13, 2021

More from Texas

Tags

19th century 20th Century African American History american history Asia Asia & Middle East book review Brazil British Empire China Civil War Cold War Colonialism communism cultural history digital history Early Modern Europe Europe film gender history History of Science immigration India Islam Latin America Latin American History Mexico Not Even Past Public History race religion Russia slavery Texas Texas History Texas History Day Transnational Twentieth Century History United States US History USSR Womens History world history World War II
NOT EVEN PAST is produced by
The Department of History
The University of Texas at Austin
We are supported by the College of Liberal Arts
And our Readers

Donate
Contact

All content © 2010-present NOT EVEN PAST and the authors, unless otherwise noted

    Sign up to receive the monthly Not Even Past newsletter

    • Features
    • Books
    • Teaching
    • Digital & Film
    • Blog
    • IHS & Public History
    • Texas
    • About