An athletic 21-year old, African-American male in good health joined a climb partway up Mt. Rainier...

90.2K

Verified Solution

Question

Medical Sciences

An athletic 21-year old, African-American male in good healthjoined a climb partway up Mt. Rainier in Washington. Despite hisoverall fitness, the rigors of the climb were far greater than heexpected, and he found himself breathing heavily. At an elevationof 6000 feet, he began to feel twinges of pain on the left side ofhis upper abdomen. At 9000 feet, the pain worsened to the pointthat he stopped climbing and descended the mountain. The painbecame very severe during the days after his climb. He went to theemergency room, where tests revealed a disorder in his red bloodcells due to an abnormal form of the protein hemoglobin. Thepatient had a condition called sickle-cell trait. Such individualsare carriers of the gene that causes sickle-cell disease. How doesa gene mutation result in a change in the quaternary structure ofhemoglobin and how does this impact a person's blood when exposedto low oxygen?

Answer & Explanation Solved by verified expert

3.6 Ratings (327 Votes)

Sickle cell Trait and disease Hemoglobin is a protein located on the RBC and its role is to carry oxygen to tissues There are many forms of hemoglobin In adults it is called HbA The adult HbA has two alpha chains and two beta chains Each alpha chain has 141 amino acids and beta chains have 146 amino acids respectively The quarternary structure of hemoglobin contains these alpha and beta subunits together connected by relatively See Answer

Get Answers to Unlimited Questions

Join us to gain access to millions of questions and expert answers. Enjoy exclusive benefits tailored just for you!

Membership Benefits:

Unlimited Question Access with detailed Answers
Zin AI - 3 Million Words
10 Dall-E 3 Images
20 Plot Generations
Conversation with Dialogue Memory
No Ads, Ever!
Access to Our Best AI Platform: Flex AI - Your personal assistant for all your inquiries!

Become a Member