Final answer:
Watson and Crick's discovery of DNA's double helix structure in the 1950s was foundational for understanding genetics and evolution. Their work has enabled modern technologies like PCR, which relies on the replication mechanisms of DNA. Their insights into DNA replication are crucial for many fields, including medicine and agriculture.
Step-by-step explanation:
Francis Crick and James Watson played a pivotal role in understanding the mechanism of evolution through their discovery of the structure of DNA. In the 1950s at the University of Cambridge, England, this duo unveiled the double helix structure, which was crucial in showing how genetic information is stored, encoded, and passed on to subsequent generations. Their work built upon the findings of scientists such as Linus Pauling and Maurice Wilkins, with a significant contribution from Rosalind Franklin's X-ray diffraction data.
To illustrate the impact of their discovery on modern biotechnology, let's consider polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR is a technique used to make multiple copies of a segment of DNA swiftly and efficiently. This method allows for the amplification of a single or a few copies of a piece of DNA across several orders of magnitude, generating thousands to millions of copies of a particular DNA sequence.
Without Watson and Crick's elucidation of the DNA structure, technologies like PCR would not have been possible, as their model revealed how DNA replicates. This knowledge underpins techniques that manipulate DNA for various applications, including medical diagnosis, forensic science, and agricultural improvements. Watson and Crick's findings were essential to developing our current understanding of genetics, the modern synthesis, and the evolution of life on Earth.