Watson, Crick, and the Double Helix
James Watson and Francis Crick became household names when they published their atomic model of DNA's double helical structure in 1953. Their work built on discoveries by Chargaff, Franklin, and others to create the complete picture of DNA structure that we still use today.
The 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine went to Watson, Crick, and Maurice Wilkins for discovering DNA's molecular structure. Tragically, Rosalind Franklin had died of cancer in 1958 and couldn't share in this recognition, despite her crucial contributions.
DNA polymerase works in specific directions because of DNA's antiparallel structure - the strands run in opposite directions. The enzyme has a specific active site shape that only fits the phosphate end of the developing strand, like a key that only works in one lock orientation.
Remember: Scientific breakthroughs rarely happen in isolation - Watson and Crick's success built on the work of many other brilliant scientists.