Apedia

Sickle  The Acid Causing Cell Sequence Gag Amino

Text Sickle cell anemia allele arose from base substitution

DNA:  The DNA sequence changes from GAG to GTG on the non-transcribed strand (CTC to CAC on the template strand)

mRNA:  The mRNA sequence changes from GAG to GUG at the 6th codon position

Polypeptide:  The sixth amino acid for the beta chain of haemoglobin is changed from glutamic acid to valine (Glu to Val)

The amino acid change (Glu → Val) alters the structure of haemoglobin, causing it to form insoluble fibrous strands, thus it cannot carry oxygen as effectively, causing the individual to feel constantly tired
Extra
The sickle cells may form clots within the capillaries, blocking blood supply to vital organs and causing myriad health issues
The sickle cells are also destroyed more rapidly than normal cells, leading to a low red blood cell count (anaemia)

Tags: 3_1_genes, sickle_cell_anemia

Learn with these flashcards. Click next, previous, or up to navigate to more flashcards for this subject.

Next card: Human lead completion genome project outcomes mapping number

Previous card: Mutations gene detrimental neutral sequence trait beneficial change

Up to card list: IB Biology HL