History of Science—DNA, Part 1

Before the discovery of the structure of DNA in the early 1950s, these scientists and experiments were instrumental in advancing the understanding of the molecules that caused heredity—i.e. genes.

• 1860s: Mendel’s experiments on peas determined that distinct “genes” passed on hereditary info, but he didn’t know how this info was stored or passed on

• By late 1800’s: all macromolecules were discovered, including DNA, but which carried the “genes” wasn’t known