Question

The Nobel prize for discovery of DNA structure was awarded to Watson, Crick and Wilkins in the year:-

• A. 1953
• B. 1958
• C. 1962
• D. 1964

Hint:

Remember the two crucial dates for the DNA double helix: {1953} was the year of the discovery and publication. {1962} was the year of the Nobel Prize. Exam questions often try to confuse these two dates.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question tests knowledge of a key event in the history of science: the recognition of the discovery of the structure of DNA. It's important to distinguish the year of discovery from the year the Nobel Prize was awarded.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
- James Watson and Francis Crick published their famous paper proposing the double helix structure of DNA in the journal Nature in 1953. This is the year of the discovery.
- Their model was heavily reliant on the X-ray diffraction images of DNA produced by Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins at King's College London.
- The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded for this discovery in the year 1962.
- The prize was shared by James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins. Rosalind Franklin had passed away in 1958, and Nobel Prizes are not awarded posthumously.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The Nobel Prize for the discovery of the structure of DNA was awarded in 1962.