Final answer:
The statement regarding the discovery of DNA's structure dating back to the late 1700s is false. The correct identification of DNA's structure as a double helix was achieved in 1953 by Watson and Crick.
Step-by-step explanation:
The discovery of the structure of DNA falsely dates back to the late 1700s. In reality, the discovery and characterization of DNA occurred long before we understood its role in heredity. The crucial work by James Watson and Francis Crick, which led to the identification of the DNA double helix, was published in 1953. Prior to this, in the 1860s, Friedrich Miescher isolated nucleic acids, and further progress in understanding DNA's structure continued in the early 20th century with the research of scientists like Rosalind Franklin, Erwin Chargaff, and others.