Wilkins and Franklin studied the structure of DNA primarily using which technique?

• A. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
• B. X-ray diffraction (X-ray crystallography)
• C. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
• D. Sanger DNA sequencing

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the question asks about the technique used by Wilkins and Franklin to study DNA structure.
2. Recall that Wilkins and Franklin are famous for their work on the physical structure of DNA, particularly the double helix.
3. Identify that the technique they used involved analyzing the pattern of X-rays scattered by crystallized DNA fibers, which is known as X-ray diffraction or X-ray crystallography.
4. Recognize that Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is a method to amplify DNA, not to study its structure, so it is not the correct technique here.
5. Note that Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Sanger DNA sequencing are different methods used for imaging cells and sequencing DNA, respectively, and were not the primary techniques used by Wilkins and Franklin.