Which discovery is attributed to Phoebus Levene?

Phoebus Levene, a pioneering biochemist, is best known for his significant contributions to the understanding of the structure of nucleic acids. His most notable discovery is the identification of the components of DNA, including the finding that DNA is made up of nucleotides, which consist of a sugar (deoxyribose), a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

Levene also proposed the tetranucleotide hypothesis, suggesting that DNA consists of repeating units of four nucleotides. Although his hypothesis was later proven to be overly simplistic, it helped pave the way for more complex models of DNA structure. Levene's work laid important groundwork for later discoveries regarding the double helix structure of DNA by Watson and Crick. His research was crucial in understanding how genetic information is stored and transferred in living organisms.