The First Discovery of DNA

By Ralf Dahm

Few remember the man who discovered the "molecule of life" three-quarters of a century before Watson and Crick revealed its structure

Biology Chemistry

Current Issue

This Article From Issue

July-August 2008

Volume 96, Number 4
Page 320

DOI: 10.1511/2008.73.320

Most everybody knows that DNA contains the blueprint for life. The names of Watson and Crick, the first scientists to figure out the structure of DNA in the 1950s, are also widely recognized. But left obscure in history is the name of the chemist who first isolated the DNA molecule itself. Johann Friedrich Miescher, working in the late 1800s, single-handedly separated out what he called "nuclein" from cells.

GIPhotoStock Z/Alamy

To access the full article, please log in or subscribe.

American Scientist Comments and Discussion

To discuss our articles or comment on them, please share them and tag American Scientist on social media platforms. Here are links to our profiles on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

If we re-share your post, we will moderate comments/discussion following our comments policy.