0
April 21, 1993, Vol 269, No. 15 >
ARTICLE | April 21, 1993

What the Double Helix (1953) Has Meant for Basic Biomedical Science: Title and subTitle BreakA Personal Commentary FREE

Joshua Lederberg, PhD
[+] Author Affiliations

Dr Lederberg is a consultant for Affymax Technologies, which uses DNA combinatorics.

Reprint requests to The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Ave, New York, NY 10021-6399 (Dr Lederberg).


JAMA. 1993;269(15):1981-1985. doi:10.1001/jama.1993.03500150093034
Text Size: A A A
Published online
Article
References

THE ARTICLE published by Watson and Crick in 19531 was the landmark pointer to our contemporary model of DNA as a macromolecular structure. This lay on a well-worn path of biophysical analysis, reducing microscopic anatomy to the molecular level. It also helped inspire an enormous body of biochemical research that has defined DNA as the informational molecule, a discontinuity that has been labeled the Biological Revolution of the 20th Century. As a piece of structural analysis, the idea of the double helix includes the concepts (1) that DNA is a duplex structure, comprising two paired complementary strands, associated by secondary, noncovalent bonds; (2) that the strand pairs are coiled, forming a double helix; and (3) that these are antiparallel—the orientation of one strand being in the opposite polarity from the other.

The most novel features of DNA are associated with its duplicity, rather than its helicity. Linear polymers rarely

REFERENCES

1 +
Alberts B, Bray D, Lewis J, Raff M, Roberts K, Watson JD. Molecular Biology of the Cell . New York, NY: Garland Publishing; 1989;.
2 +
Berg P, Singer M. Dealing With Genes: The Language of Heredity . Mill Valley, Calif: University Science Books; 1992;.
3 +
Darnell JE, Lodish HF, Baltimore D. Molecular Cell Biology . New York, NY: Scientific American Books; 1990;.
4 +
Kornberg A, Baker TA. DNA Replication . 2nd ed. New York, NY: WH Freeman & Co; 1992;.
5 +
Stryer L. Biochemistry . New York, NY: WH Freeman & Co; 1988;.
6 +
Watson JD, Hopkins NH, Roberts JW, Steitz JA, Weiner AM. Molecular Biology of the Gene . Menlo Park, Calif: Benjamin/Cummings; 1987;.
7 +
Wells RD, Harvey SC, eds. Unusual DNA Structures . New York, NY: Springer-Verlag NY Inc; 1988;.
8 +
Crick FHC. What Mad Pursuit: A Personal View of Scientific Discovery . New York, NY: Basic Books Inc Publishers; 1988;.
9 +
Dubos RJ. The Professor, the Institute, and DNA . New York, NY: Rockefeller University Press; 1976;.
10 +
Fruton JS. Molecules and Life . New York, NY: Wiley-Interscience; 1972;.
11 +
Judson HF. The Eighth Day of Creation . New York, NY: Simon & Schuster; 1979;.
12 +
Lederberg J.  Genetic recombination in bacteria: a discovery account. Annu Rev Genet . 1987;;21:23-46.
13 +
McCarty M. The Transforming Principle . New York, NY: WW Norton & Co; 1985;.
14 +
Olby RC. The Path to the Double Helix . Seattle: University of Washington Press; 1974;.
15 +
Portugal FH, Cohen JS. A Century of DNA . Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press; 1977;.
16 +
Sayre A. Rosalind Franklin and DNA . New York, NY: WW Norton & Co; 1975;.
17 +
Watson JD. The Double Helix . New York, NY: Atheneum Publishers; 1968;.
18 +
Watson JD, Tooze J. The DNA Story . San Francisco, Calif: WH Freeman & Co; 1981;.
19 +
Watson JD, Crick FHC.  Molecular structure of nucleic acids: a structure for deoxyribose nucleic acid. Nature . 1953;;171:737-738.
20 +
Watson JD, Crick FHC.  Genetical implications of the structure of deoxyribonucleic acid. Nature . 1953;;171:964-967.
21 +
Caskey CT.  Molecular medicine: a spin-off from the helix. JAMA . 1993;;269:1986-1992.
22 +
Pei D, Ulrich HD, Schultz PG.  A combinatorial approach toward DNA recognition. Science . 1991;;253: 1408-1411.

Figures

Tables

Interactive Graphics

Video

Country-Specific Mortality and Growth Failure in Infancy and Yound Children and Association With Material Stature

Use interactive graphics and maps to view and sort country-specific infant and early dhildhood mortality and growth failure data and their association with maternal

1 +
Alberts B, Bray D, Lewis J, Raff M, Roberts K, Watson JD. Molecular Biology of the Cell . New York, NY: Garland Publishing; 1989;.
2 +
Berg P, Singer M. Dealing With Genes: The Language of Heredity . Mill Valley, Calif: University Science Books; 1992;.
3 +
Darnell JE, Lodish HF, Baltimore D. Molecular Cell Biology . New York, NY: Scientific American Books; 1990;.
4 +
Kornberg A, Baker TA. DNA Replication . 2nd ed. New York, NY: WH Freeman & Co; 1992;.
5 +
Stryer L. Biochemistry . New York, NY: WH Freeman & Co; 1988;.
6 +
Watson JD, Hopkins NH, Roberts JW, Steitz JA, Weiner AM. Molecular Biology of the Gene . Menlo Park, Calif: Benjamin/Cummings; 1987;.
7 +
Wells RD, Harvey SC, eds. Unusual DNA Structures . New York, NY: Springer-Verlag NY Inc; 1988;.
8 +
Crick FHC. What Mad Pursuit: A Personal View of Scientific Discovery . New York, NY: Basic Books Inc Publishers; 1988;.
9 +
Dubos RJ. The Professor, the Institute, and DNA . New York, NY: Rockefeller University Press; 1976;.
10 +
Fruton JS. Molecules and Life . New York, NY: Wiley-Interscience; 1972;.
11 +
Judson HF. The Eighth Day of Creation . New York, NY: Simon & Schuster; 1979;.
12 +
Lederberg J.  Genetic recombination in bacteria: a discovery account. Annu Rev Genet . 1987;;21:23-46.
13 +
McCarty M. The Transforming Principle . New York, NY: WW Norton & Co; 1985;.
14 +
Olby RC. The Path to the Double Helix . Seattle: University of Washington Press; 1974;.
15 +
Portugal FH, Cohen JS. A Century of DNA . Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press; 1977;.
16 +
Sayre A. Rosalind Franklin and DNA . New York, NY: WW Norton & Co; 1975;.
17 +
Watson JD. The Double Helix . New York, NY: Atheneum Publishers; 1968;.
18 +
Watson JD, Tooze J. The DNA Story . San Francisco, Calif: WH Freeman & Co; 1981;.
19 +
Watson JD, Crick FHC.  Molecular structure of nucleic acids: a structure for deoxyribose nucleic acid. Nature . 1953;;171:737-738.
20 +
Watson JD, Crick FHC.  Genetical implications of the structure of deoxyribonucleic acid. Nature . 1953;;171:964-967.
21 +
Caskey CT.  Molecular medicine: a spin-off from the helix. JAMA . 1993;;269:1986-1992.
22 +
Pei D, Ulrich HD, Schultz PG.  A combinatorial approach toward DNA recognition. Science . 1991;;253: 1408-1411.

Letters

Submit a Letter
CME Course for:


You need to register in order to view this quiz.


To understand the clinical management of acute heart failure syndromes.
Accreditation Information The American Medical Association is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The AMA designates this journal-based CME activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM per course. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Physicians who complete the CME course and score at least 80% correct on the quiz are eligible for AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM.
Note: You must get at least of the answers correct to pass this quiz.
Note: You must get at least of the answers correct to pass this quiz.
You have not filled in all the answers to complete this quiz
The following questions were not answered:
Sorry, you have unsuccessfully completed this CME quiz with a score of
The following questions were not answered correctly:
For CME Course: A Proposed Model for Initial Assessment and Management of Acute Heart Failure Syndromes
Indicate what changes(s) you will implement in your practice, if any, based on this CME course.
To view and print your certificate and access a summary of your CME courses go to My CME.
NOTE:
Citing articles are presented as examples only. In non-demo SCM6 implementation, integration with CrossRef’s “Cited By” API will populate this tab (http://www.crossref.org/citedby.html).
Compression-Only CPR: Pushing the Science Forward
Cone
AAM 2010;304:1493-1495.
All you need to read in the other general journals
BMJ 2010;341:c5893-c1494.
Submit a Response

Some tools below are only available to our subscribers or users with an online account.

Related Content

Customize your page view by dragging & repositioning the boxes below.

© 2012 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.
Powered bySilverchair Information Systems