| Friedrich Miescher |
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| Friedrich
Miescher was born in Basel, Switzerland August 13, 1844 into a family
of scientists. His father and uncle were anatomy professors at Basel
University. Miescher began studying medicine at Basel as well. However,
Miescher was partially deaf and feared this handicap would limit his
ability to be a successful physician. As a result he changed his major
to chemistry. Miescher went on to become a professor of chemistry
at Basel University. As
a chemist Miescher analyzed the puss on bandages removed from wounds.
Miescher made his most celebrated discovery
as a result of these studies. He discovered a previously unknown
substance within the puss’ white blood cells. |
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The new substance was unique since it contained phosphorus. All other
known organic cells were made from carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen.
Miescher named the newly found substance “nuclein” since
it came from a cell’s nucleus. Six years before Miescher died,
a former student of his, Richard Altmann, renamed nuclein “nucleic
acid” since it was made up of protein and an acid molecule.
The substance is now known as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA.)
Miescher later extracted DNA from many other cells. He was later able to extract the first pure sample of DNA from salmon sperm. Miescher did not publish his discovery until 1871 because his mentor, Felix Hoppe-Seyler wanted to confirm the discovery first. Miescher died long before James Watson and Francis Crick announced the precise role DNA played in cells in 1953. Resources |
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