Maurice Wilkins

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/maurice-wilkins

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Maurice Wilkins born?December 15, 1916
2. Where was Maurice Wilkins born?Wanganui, New Zealand
3. What is the primary research institution?King's College London
4. What is the key experimental technique?X-ray diffraction
5. Who was Maurice Wilkins?Maurice Wilkins was a scientist from New Zealand who worked in Britain. He studied physics and later helped scientists learn about the structure of DNA.
6. What is X-ray diffraction and how did Wilkins use it?X-ray diffraction is a way to see how atoms are arranged by shining X-rays on a sample. Wilkins used it to take pictures of DNA fibers that showed a helical shape.

X-ray Diffraction: A scientific method used to determine the atomic and molecular structure of a crystal by analyzing the pattern produced when X-rays are scattered by it.
Nucleic Acids: Complex macromolecules, such as DNA and RNA, that carry genetic information and are essential for all known forms of life.
Double Helix: The characteristic spiral staircase-like structure of DNA, composed of two complementary polynucleotide strands wound around a central axis.
Biophysics: An interdisciplinary science that applies the theories and methods of physics to the study of biological systems and phenomena.