Kaplan Nursing Entrance Practice Exam

The central dogma was first outlined by which scientist?

1. James Watson

2. Francis Crick

3. Rosalind Franklin

4. Charles Darwin

The correct answer is: Francis Crick

The central dogma of molecular biology, which describes the flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein, was first outlined by Francis Crick in 1957. Crick, along with James Watson, is best known for discovering the double helical structure of DNA, but he also articulated the central dogma. This concept is foundational in understanding how genetic information is expressed and how proteins, which carry out much of the functions in a cell, are synthesized based on the information encoded in DNA. While Watson contributed significantly to the discovery of DNA's structure and is an important figure in genetics, it was Crick who specifically defined the central dogma. Rosalind Franklin contributed critical data to understanding DNA's structure through her X-ray diffraction images but did not outline the central dogma herself. Charles Darwin, known for his theory of evolution through natural selection, does not directly relate to the molecular biology concepts represented in the central dogma. The focus on how information flows in biological systems was primarily a part of 20th-century discoveries, thus excluding Darwin's contributions.