Who are credited with discovering the structure of DNA?

The discovery of the structure of DNA is primarily credited to James Watson and Francis Crick, who, in 1953, proposed the double helix model based on their research and the critical X-ray diffraction images provided by Rosalind Franklin. Their model illustrated how the nucleotides pair and explained the mechanisms of replication and genetic inheritance, which were pivotal to the field of molecular biology.

While Rosalind Franklin indeed played an essential role in this discovery with her work in X-ray crystallography, which provided key insights into the structure of DNA, Watson and Crick were the first to create a comprehensive model that accurately represented the double helix structure. This foundational understanding has had profound impacts on biology, genetics, and medicine, earning them the recognition for this significant scientific breakthrough.