Michael Regilio

The entire process, as magical as it seems, is all just chemistry. It can be studied. It can be understood. And that understanding took many people over 100 years since we first spotted DNA to really figure out. And of course, there's still a lot to be explored.

The entire process, as magical as it seems, is all just chemistry. It can be studied. It can be understood. And that understanding took many people over 100 years since we first spotted DNA to really figure out. And of course, there's still a lot to be explored.

DNA was first discovered in 1869 by a Swiss biologist named Friedrich Miescher. Miescher was studying white blood cells, and he had a nice supply of white blood cells because he would collect all the used bandages from a nearby hospital.

DNA was first discovered in 1869 by a Swiss biologist named Friedrich Miescher. Miescher was studying white blood cells, and he had a nice supply of white blood cells because he would collect all the used bandages from a nearby hospital.

DNA was first discovered in 1869 by a Swiss biologist named Friedrich Miescher. Miescher was studying white blood cells, and he had a nice supply of white blood cells because he would collect all the used bandages from a nearby hospital.

Oh man, that is super gross. Okay, well it's about to get grosser because Misha was studying white blood cells, which were hard to extract from a healthy person, but were in great abundance in the pus on used bandages.

Oh man, that is super gross. Okay, well it's about to get grosser because Misha was studying white blood cells, which were hard to extract from a healthy person, but were in great abundance in the pus on used bandages.

Oh man, that is super gross. Okay, well it's about to get grosser because Misha was studying white blood cells, which were hard to extract from a healthy person, but were in great abundance in the pus on used bandages.

So he wasn't really collecting used bandages as much as he was collecting the pus on used bandages. And in studying the pus, he experimented and isolated a new molecule he called nuclein and studied it using now from pus to salmon sperm, which might not be exactly as gross as the pussy bandages. Puss caviar, anyone? And so today we call nuclein nucleic acid.

So he wasn't really collecting used bandages as much as he was collecting the pus on used bandages. And in studying the pus, he experimented and isolated a new molecule he called nuclein and studied it using now from pus to salmon sperm, which might not be exactly as gross as the pussy bandages. Puss caviar, anyone? And so today we call nuclein nucleic acid.

So he wasn't really collecting used bandages as much as he was collecting the pus on used bandages. And in studying the pus, he experimented and isolated a new molecule he called nuclein and studied it using now from pus to salmon sperm, which might not be exactly as gross as the pussy bandages. Puss caviar, anyone? And so today we call nuclein nucleic acid.

This is one of the building blocks of life. Almost 100 years later in London, a scientist named Rosalind Franklin discovered the double helix shape that we're so familiar with of DNA.

This is one of the building blocks of life. Almost 100 years later in London, a scientist named Rosalind Franklin discovered the double helix shape that we're so familiar with of DNA.

This is one of the building blocks of life. Almost 100 years later in London, a scientist named Rosalind Franklin discovered the double helix shape that we're so familiar with of DNA.

Franklin, although she was appreciated, her day was largely overlooked for her contributions to the understanding of DNA. And most of the credit went to Watson and Crick because men.

Franklin, although she was appreciated, her day was largely overlooked for her contributions to the understanding of DNA. And most of the credit went to Watson and Crick because men.

Franklin, although she was appreciated, her day was largely overlooked for her contributions to the understanding of DNA. And most of the credit went to Watson and Crick because men.

Before DNA, law enforcement had a few tools at their disposal, but they were actually pretty imprecise. Starting in the 1920s with blood typing, scientists identified four different types of blood. A, A, B, B, and O. This was huge for doctors because they could now safely perform blood transfusions, but it also came in handy for law enforcement. So to catch the bad guys, yeah?

Before DNA, law enforcement had a few tools at their disposal, but they were actually pretty imprecise. Starting in the 1920s with blood typing, scientists identified four different types of blood. A, A, B, B, and O. This was huge for doctors because they could now safely perform blood transfusions, but it also came in handy for law enforcement. So to catch the bad guys, yeah?

Before DNA, law enforcement had a few tools at their disposal, but they were actually pretty imprecise. Starting in the 1920s with blood typing, scientists identified four different types of blood. A, A, B, B, and O. This was huge for doctors because they could now safely perform blood transfusions, but it also came in handy for law enforcement. So to catch the bad guys, yeah?