The significance of the double helix is that it allows DNA to replicate itself.  After it has copied itself, it can transfer that copy from parent to offspring.  The significance of DNA to us humans is that we are able to use it to trace back to our ancestors. A couple of reasons to why a triple helix DNA strand wouldn't work was because it was unable to make copies of itself as a double helix does and Rosalind Franklin had X-ray pictures to prove that the DNA strand couldn't be a triple helix. Watson~Crick model's novel feature is a double helix.  After research and many tests, they were finally able to find the structure of DNA.  It was a Double Helix. If you know the DNA sequence of one side then you can just guess what the other side is because the opposite side is always the exact opposite of the other side.  For example, if it is A-G-G-T-U-G then the opposite side will be G-A-A-U-T-A.

Watson and Franklin

Franklin did not get the just credit she deserved.  She wasn't credited with her discovery until after she had died. As I researched this topic, I had found that Wilkins, who was also making pictures, and Franklin really didn't get along with each other at all.  Wilkins had just taken some of Franklin's pictures when she wasn't around and they turned out to be the best pictures that had been taken.  He had given them to Watson and received all of Franklin's credit. After Wilkins had received all of the credit for her discovery he was awarded the Nobel Prize and it wasn't till Franklin died that she received any credit.

I personally don't think it was fair that Franklin didn't receive any credit for her work.  As for Wilkins, I personally believe he is lazy and wrong for taking away Franklin's work and not even giving her any credit.


http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,990626-3,00.html

http://www.chemicalheritage.org/discover/chemistry-in-history/themes/biomolecules/dna/watson-crick-wilkins-franklin.aspx

http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/jaffe.forum.pdf