Leylany Alvarez Milflores September 17th 2010
PBL 1. Sickle Cells disease. A study case. http://www.biculturalscience.blogspot.com/
Sickle Cell anemia is a disease caused by a gene mutation in red blood cells; it is common in England and in the Caribbean . The hemoglobin molecule is affected because it clumps together in solid structures and the red blood cells become disorted in their shape, so they die prematurely. These deformed cells can clog up in blood vessels, blocking the oxygen leading to sickle cell crisis and generating pain. There are many other complications that can be caused by this, like depression, stroke, vision problems etc. The treatment for this disease involves bone marrow transplant and this disease can also prevent Malaria because the parasites are killed.
Malaria is a disease caused by a tiny parasite carried by mosquitoes, destroying red blood cells, it is common in West Africa, however the disease is not fatal, but it depends on the resistance of the genes. These two diseases are related because if you get one copy of the sickle cell anemia disease you can be protected of Malaria, however if you get two copies it can be dangerous.
Studying this disease we cover many objectives of Biology, such as, the study of life, cells, human body, and how our organism is affected by some diseases. The sciences used for the study of this diseases, include Biology, cytology, hematology, Anatomy, and medicine. Branches of Biology used to cover the study of this disease; are, Biochemistry, Bioengineering, Cell Biology, Histology and genetics. Cell, tissue, organ, system, organism, population, are the level or organization of matter that are being affected. Cells are affected because red blood cells are being disorted by their shape in this disease, tissues are being affected because of the clumping of red blood cells, forming solid structures; organs like The liver, heart, kidneys, gallbladder, eyes, bones, and joints can suffer damage from the abnormal function of the sickle cells. System is also covered by this disease because systems of the human body such as the Nervous System, Circulatory System are affected during the disease. The whole organism is involved and affected in this disease because all the damage that is caused by the Cell Anemia Disease in the human body. Like shown on the video, a entire population can be affected by these kind of diseases, such as the population in England or Africa .
Nucleic Acids are macromolecules involved in this disease because according to the copy of genes carried in the DNA, a person can or cannot have this disease, so Nucleic Acid carry the gene information that is needed to know the condition of the human being. Proteins also are involved, and this is because hemoglobin, a protein found in red blood cells are affected during the Cell anemia disease.
The function of hemoglobin as a protein is to transport oxygen and carbon dioxide in red blood cells (oxygenation and deoxygenation). Hemoglobins have four levels of structure; primary, secondary, tertiary and fourth level and the levels affected by the disease are; primary, secondary and tertiary.
The consequences of these changes during the affection in the protein levels consist in the mutation of the human genes, in this case the hemoglobin and due to this, red blood cells malformed causing the Sickle Cell Anemia. There are no prevention methods for this disease, because it is transited genetically, but families with affected genes, should consider not having babies, to avoid transmitting this painful disease, however the treatment consists in the donation of a bone marrow transplant, this could be a dangerous process for the donator, and would implicate serious thinking.
Sickle Cell Anemia is caused by the genetic mutation that affects the development of hemoglobin. This serious disease transmitted genetically is affecting many countries worldwide, is very important for the government of these countries to help families that need help for the treatment and care of this disease.
References:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fN7rOwDyMQ&feature=player_embedded
Handouts provided by Teacher Zohemy.
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