Question

1. What is sickle-cell disease (in your own words)? What role does hemoglobin play in this disorder?

2. Is this an inherited disorder? Is there a difference between individuals with one copy of this mutated gene vs. two?

3. What is the connection between sickle-cell and malaria?

4. What is a pleiotrophic effect? (hint: sickle-cell is an example)

5. Which future line of research/investigation given in the Scientific American article sounded most interesting/promising to you?

Answer 1

Ans:-1)

Sickel cell anemia - sickle cell anemia results from an abnormal hemoglobin known as hemoglobin -S (HbS) or sickle cell hemoglobin.

The molecular lesion in HbS is the substitution of valine for glutamic acid at the sixth residue of the beta chain.

Ans-2)

Yes it is an Autosomal recessive disease.

One copy mutated gene do not cause symptoms but homozygous state of mutated HbS gene cause the disease.

Ans-3)HbS (sickle cell hemoglobin) confers some protection against plasmodium falciparum maleria,so that this patient are relatively resistance to maleria.

Ans-4) Pleiotropic effects :- producing multiple effects from single gene

Ans-5) According to American article for siickle cell anemia,the Scientists have identified the effects of the psrasite on a host cells actins.And now they are trying for development of inhibitors in order to counteract with effects of sickle cells on body.