Final answer:
Rosalind Franklin's X-ray diffraction images were key to determining the double helix structure of DNA, which led to the model created by James Watson and Francis Crick.
Step-by-step explanation:
The molecular structure of DNA used to create a model of DNA was based on a picture taken by Rosalind Franklin. Her work with X-ray diffraction images of DNA provided the crucial information that allowed subsequent researchers to confirm the double helix structure of DNA. Franklin took X-ray diffraction images that revealed the helical nature of DNA, which were then used by James Watson and Francis Crick to construct their famous model of DNA. Unfortunately, Rosalind Franklin passed away before the Nobel Prize was awarded to Watson, Crick, and Maurice Wilkins in 1962, and Nobel prizes are not awarded posthumously.
Rosalind Franklin's pivotal contribution to the understanding of DNA's molecular structure was based on her X-ray diffraction images, which provided crucial insights for elucidating the double helix structure of DNA. Franklin's work revealed the helical nature of DNA and offered vital data that James Watson and Francis Crick used to construct their iconic model of DNA. While Watson, Crick, and Maurice Wilkins were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1962 for their contributions to the elucidation of the DNA structure, Franklin did not share the recognition, as Nobel Prizes are not awarded posthumously. Tragically, Rosalind Franklin passed away before her instrumental role in uncovering the structure of DNA was fully acknowledged, and her substantial contribution is now recognized as a crucial element in the landmark discovery.