Final answer:
The structure of transfer-RNA was deduced through the use of X-ray crystallography, a method that provides detailed information about molecular structures by analyzing X-ray diffraction patterns from crystals.
Step-by-step explanation:
The structure of transfer-RNA was deduced by scientists using various experimental data including that of X-ray crystallography of transfer-RNA. X-ray crystallography is a method for investigating molecular structure by observing the patterns formed by X-rays shot through a crystal of the substance. The patterns give important information about the structure of the molecule of interest.
During the 1950s, Francis Crick and James Watson utilized X-ray crystallography data from Rosalind Franklin to determine the structure of DNA. This method was crucial in confirming the size, shape, and atomic arrangements in materials. Today, this technique continues to be instrumental in the study of complex materials, such as high-temperature superconductors, and has been adapted for protein analysis along with other techniques such as mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.