Rosalind Franklin Photo 51 Essay

Envision the thought of being exploited just because you’re a woman in what is labeled as a “man’s job.” This is what happened to Rosalind Franklin during the expedition to discover the structure of DNA. Her compelling evidence is what ultimately led scientists James Watson and Francis Crick to the revelation of DNA structure. Franklin's expertise in X-ray crystallography led to the infamous “Photo 51.” This photo was the deciding factor in what Watson and Crick were theorizing in their own studies. “Photo 51” was shared with the two scientists without permission by Franklin's said to be colleague, Maurice Williams. Without Rosalind Franklin's photo, who knows what kind of discoveries were to arise?

IN THE BEGINNINGS...
Franklin was born
Rosalind Franklin’s X-ray crystallography techniques came alive here. It’s where she came in contact with Maurice Wilkins, the man whom she did not fancy. When Franklin first came to King's, Wilkins thought she was just brought in as an assistant and didn’t take her too seriously. “A misunderstanding resulted in immediate friction between Wilkins and Franklin, and their clashing personalities served to deepen the divide” (Nature News). Furthermore, it was their goal, together, to figure out the structure of DNA, but their differences only hurt their chances at becoming a compromising duo. Franklin, as a very independent woman, did not mind the isolation. Wilkins, on the other hand, had went back to Cambridge and ran into his old friends Watson and Crick that were working on building a DNA molecule. While unsure of the actual shape of DNA, they got lucky when Wilkins had brought them a photo that explained the shape. It was Photo 51, a photo taken by Rosalind Franklin that Wilkins didn’t have permission to take. “According to Watson, photo 51 provided the vital clue to the double helix” (Cobb). Watson and Crick made no mention of what they were doing with the new information.
LEAVING A MARK & MOVING