Tolu Baiyeshea

Honors Bio
Period 4

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) structure is considered one of the most significant scientific
discoveries of the century and a major step towards understanding the mysteries of life. Have
you wondered how police chase criminals? Do you ever wonder what police do to finger print
suspects. Police use DNA from suspects to find out who the suspect is. In the world we live in,
science has been significant in improving and understanding the way we live. May it be from the
weather forecast, cooking something, or even playing a game of basketball. DNA you may ask?
What does that have to do with me? DNA is a very important aspect that makes up the human.
Everyone has a different unique DNA.
In 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick published a very important one page letter in a
journal. Watson and Crick proposed that DNA is made of two chains of nucleotides held together
by nitrogenous bases. Just as the teeth of a zipper hold the two sides of the zipper together, the
nitrogenous bases of the two nucleotides hold the two strands of DNA together with weak
hydrogen bonds. Watson and Crick also proposed that DNA is shaped like a long zipper that is
twisted into a coil like a spring. When something is twisted like a spring, the shape is called a
helix. Because DNA is composed of two strands twisted together, its shape is called a double
helix
Their discovery yielded brand-new insights into the genetic code and protein synthesis.
During the 1970s and 1980s, it helped to produce new and powerful scientific techniques. Major
current advances in science, namely genetic fingerprinting and modern forensics, the mapping of
the human genome, all have their beginnings in Watson and Crick's brilliant work. The double
helix has not only restructured biology, it has become more visible. May it be represented in
sculpture, visual art, jewelry, and toys the DNA has evolved in our everyday life

Tolu Baiyeshea
Honors Bio
Period 4
One of the first inherited diseases to be curable at the level of DNA was sickle-cell
anemia. This is a blood disorder that affects mostly Africans and people of the Mediterranean
region areas badly affected by malaria. A single mutation in the gene for the blood protein
hemoglobin can affect its ability to transport oxygen around the body. The discovery told
scientists and doctors a lot about how harmful mutations can increase to fairly high levels in a
population.
By understanding how a gene can go wrong, scientists can work out ways of putting it
right by making adjustments. In April 2002, Rhys Evans became the first child in Britain to be
declared cured of an inherited disorder as a result of gene therapy, which involves "repairing" a
malfunctioning gene by increasing it with a healthy version. Rhys had inherited a
malfunctioning Gamma C gene from his mother; this meant that his immune system did not
function, making even the most mild infections life-threatening. Then a blood transfusion
containing his own, genetically modified cells corrected the defect and enabled the 18-monthold to play outside with his friends for the first time in his life.

Tolu Baiyeshea
Honors Bio
Period 4

1. 23 ways that DNA changed the world. (2005, February 23). Retrieved from
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/23-ways-that-dna-changed-the-world598877.html
2. The Francis Crick Papers. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/SC/Views/Exhibit/narrative/doublehelix.html

3. Murnaghan, I. (2014, July 23). The Impotance Of DNA. Retrieved from

http://www.exploredna.co.uk/the-importance-dna.html
4. Johnson, S. (n.d.). How the discovery of DNA impact the scientific community? Retrieved
from http://education.seattlepi.com/did-discovery-dna-impact-scientific-community-

5.

4237.html