double helix

noun

Definition of double helix

: a helix or spiral consisting of two strands in the surface of a cylinder that coil around its axis especially : the structural arrangement of DNA in space that consists of paired polynucleotide strands stabilized by cross-links between purine and pyrimidine bases — compare alpha-helix, watson-crick model

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Examples of double helix in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This model has the benefit of a spinning double helix of water streams that’s certain to douse your opponent. — Zachary Mack, Popular Mechanics, 30 June 2022 That note contained a crude, stick-figure representation of a human, a DNA double helix, atomic numbers of the chemicals necessary for life on Earth and a drawing of the telescope, which collapsed in 2020. — Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 May 2022 The previous record for a Nobel was set at $4.76 million in 2014, when James Watson auctioned his 1962 award for co-discovering the double helix structure of DNA. — Ellen Francis, Washington Post, 21 June 2022 Cultural criticism and autobiography, then, are the two strands of Jefferson's literary double helix. — Rhoda Feng, The Week, 12 Apr. 2022 First, the process would heat the DNA to break its double helix structure into two strands. — Roxanne Khamsi, Scientific American, 16 Feb. 2022 Steckl said the magic stems from the double helix shape of salmon DNA. — Laine Welch | Fish Factor, Anchorage Daily News, 28 Dec. 2021 In 1953, Watson and his collaborator Francis Crick discovered the structure of DNA—the famous double helix. — Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2021 In an adjacent room, various works pay tribute to unsung heroes of science and medicine, including Rosalind Franklin, who researchers say deserves credit for the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA. — Christina Tkacik, baltimoresun.com, 8 Oct. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'double helix.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.