Question

Who was the first person to isolate the material that came to be known as nucleic acids?

a) Rosalind Franklin
b) James Watson
c) Friedrich Miescher
d) Linus Pauling

Answer 1

Friedrich Miescher was the first person to isolate what we now call nucleic acids in the 1860s, a fundamental discovery in genetics.

Step-by-step explanation:

The material that came to be known as nucleic acids was first isolated by Friedrich Miescher in the 1860s. Miescher was a physician with a keen interest in biochemistry, and his groundbreaking work laid the foundation for our modern understanding of DNA and RNA. He discovered these phosphate-rich chemicals within the nuclei of white blood cells, which he termed 'nuclein'. This pioneering discovery eventually led to the identification of DNA and RNA, fundamental molecules in genetics.