What other geometric properties of DNA might be necessary to get a full sense of what it looks like? What kind of test with your springs could you perform to find out how Rosalind might have gotten that information? Lastly, one of Franklin’s great insights was that DNA was not a simple helical structure like a single piece of metal bent into a coil. In fact, DNA is composed of two strands wound together, more like a ladder that has been curved into a coil. She concluded this based on the missing spots in the axes of the X on Photo 51, caused by destructive interference of light resulting from the second coil.
What other geometric properties of DNA might be necessary to get a full sense of what it looks like? What kind of test with your springs could you perform to find out how Rosalind might have gotten that information? Lastly, one of Franklin’s great insights was that DNA was not a simple helical structure like a single piece of metal bent into a coil. In fact, DNA is composed of two strands wound together, more like a ladder that has been curved into a coil. She concluded this based on the missing spots in the axes of the X on Photo 51, caused by destructive interference of light resulting from the second coil.
DNA-Student-Guide.docx