History of genetics code for specific proteins, leading to the "one gene, one enzyme" hypothesis. Oswald Avery, Colin Munro MacLeod, and Maclyn McCarty showed in 1944 that DNA holds the gene's information. In 1952, Rosalind Franklin and Raymond Gosling produced a strikingly clear x-ray diffraction pattern indicating a helical form, and in 1953, James D. Watson and Francis Crick demonstrated the molecular structure of DNA. Together, these discoveries established the central dogma of molecular biology, which states that proteins are translated from RNA which is transcribed by DNA. This dogma has since been shown to have exceptions, such as reverse transcription in retroviruses.
Timeline of United States discoveries chloride 1936 Elliptical galaxies 1936 Muons 1936 Vitamin E 1936 Sodium thiopental 1937 Niacin 1937 Electron capture 1938 Fluropolymers 1938 Animal echolocation 1938 Carme 1938 Lysithea 1940 Plutonium 1942 Cyanoacrylate 1943 Streptomycin 1944 Americium 1944 Curium 1946 Cloud seeding 1948 Warfarin 1948 Miranda 1948 Serotonin 1948 Tetracycline 1949 Nereid 1949 Berkelium 1950 Californium 1951 Barium stars 1951 Ananke 1952 Polio vaccine 1952 Einsteinium 1952 Rapid eye movement 1953 DNA structure In 1953, based on X-ray diffraction images and the information that the bases were paired, James D. Watson along with Francis Crick co-discovered what is now widely accepted as the