The Importance of the Structure of DNA
Ka Zhu
The Importance of the Structure of DNA Understanding ideas at a macroscopic scale is simple. Looking at a clock, observing and understanding the movements of the hands over the numbered surface are, in essence, all one requires to use the device. In order for innovation to occur, it is imperative to understand the inner workings of the device on a microscopic scale to modulate its properties. Such is the case for many innovations in science, from the heat engine to penicillin, and is no different for biological advancements. Like the seed of a plant, the understanding of the structure of DNA constitutes the basis of all life, establishing a foundation upon which explanations of increasing complexity can be developed. In the eyes of Thomas Kuhn, though the discovery of DNA was necessary for the understanding organisms, it was not a revolution due to the cumulative development of biology alongside the discovery of the DNA structure, the lack of conflict between scientists, and the absence of anomalies in the scientific paradigm in the 1950s (Kuhn, 92-94). On the other hand, this discovery was indeed revolutionary in that it formed such an important biological foundation that has allowed civilization to recognize a new microscopic dimension in their surroundings, allowing for tremendous technological advancement, growth and the expansion of knowledge
Schrödinger questioned many biological conundrums in his article “What is Life?”, one being why the human body was so large in comparison with the single atom (Schrödinger, 2). He attempted to use “the naïve physicist’s approach” to the subject by wondering about the mechanisms and behaviours of organisms modeled using a physical mindset (Schrödinger, 2). Though he was successful in explaining many biological phenomena such as meiosis, gene transfer and mutations without great reliance on biological knowledge, he noted in his conclusion how one must be prepared to discover instances where it is impossible to
The Importance of the Structure of DNA Understanding ideas at a macroscopic scale is simple. Looking at a clock, observing and understanding the movements of the hands over the numbered surface are, in essence, all one requires to use the device. In order for innovation to occur, it is imperative to understand the inner workings of the device on a microscopic scale to modulate its properties. Such is the case for many innovations in science, from the heat engine to penicillin, and is no different for biological advancements. Like the seed of a plant, the understanding of the structure of DNA constitutes the basis of all life, establishing a foundation upon which explanations of increasing complexity can be developed. In the eyes of Thomas Kuhn, though the discovery of DNA was necessary for the understanding organisms, it was not a revolution due to the cumulative development of biology alongside the discovery of the DNA structure, the lack of conflict between scientists, and the absence of anomalies in the scientific paradigm in the 1950s (Kuhn, 92-94). On the other hand, this discovery was indeed revolutionary in that it formed such an important biological foundation that has allowed civilization to recognize a new microscopic dimension in their surroundings, allowing for tremendous technological advancement, growth and the expansion of knowledge
Schrödinger questioned many biological conundrums in his article “What is Life?”, one being why the human body was so large in comparison with the single atom (Schrödinger, 2). He attempted to use “the naïve physicist’s approach” to the subject by wondering about the mechanisms and behaviours of organisms modeled using a physical mindset (Schrödinger, 2). Though he was successful in explaining many biological phenomena such as meiosis, gene transfer and mutations without great reliance on biological knowledge, he noted in his conclusion how one must be prepared to discover instances where it is impossible to
Cited: Crick, Francis. "The Double Helix: A Personal View." Medical Research Council Laboratory for Molecular Biology 248 (1974): 766-69. Print. "DNA: Structure and Function." Making the Modern World. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2013. Kuhn, Thomas. "The Nature and Necessity of Scientific Revolutions." The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1962): 92-111. Print. NCBI. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2013. Schrödinger, Erwin. "What Is Life?" Science Education (1944): n. pag. Print. Squires, Gl. "The Discovery of the Structure of DNA." Contemporary Physics 44.4 (2003): 289-305. Print.