After Miescher's discovery, other scientists found better ways to purify the new substance. Nuclein was a crude extract and contained a lot of proteins. Once the proteins were removed, the "pure" substance became known as deoxyribonucleic acid because of its sugar structure (ribose-based) and its properties (acidic nature). Scientists, such as Phoebus Levene, began deconstructing the DNA components. They found that DNA was essentially a long-chain molecule, made up of four different nucleotides, ribose sugar, and phosphate.

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