Watson and Crick (1953a) propose a structure which, in their opinion, best suits the description of the Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid. In proposing the structure of the DNA, the two break away from earlier descriptions made by other scholars in the field. According to Watson and Crick (1953a), the DNA structure is shaped in such a way that it comprises of two helical chains. The biologists point out that the aforementioned helical chains share one axis.
When proposing any theory or hypothesis in a given study, researchers are expected to make some assumptions. In the case of Watson and Crick (1953a), chemical assumptions are made to this effect. First, the two authors mention that each of the two chains is made up of phosphate disaster groups (Watson & Crick, 1953a). The two groups join the beta-D-deoxyribofuranose residues. Watson and Crick (1953a) further suggest that the helical chains find relation in dyad at right angles to the axis. The said relation does not include the bases of these strands.
When describing the helical structure, Watson and Crick (1953a) point out that the chains take a right handed helical arrangement. Interestingly, the chains run opposite to each other. With regards to the details of each chain, Watson and Crick (1953a) suggest that they consist of a base and a phosphate. The base is on the inner part of the helix, whereas the phosphates are located on the outer part of the same.
Based on their description of the DNA structure, the two biologists are able to make further predictions. One of their predictions is drawn from the fact that the DNA structure is an open one (Watson & Crick, 1953a). In addition, the two biologists point out that such a structure is usually characterized by high water content. Based on this, the scholars predicted that whenever water content is low, the bases would tilt. The tilting will make the structure more compact.
