The Sickle-cell disease is a deformation of the erythrocyte from a generally circular cell into the shape of the blade of a sickle. This deformation leads to the inefficient absorption and transport of oxygen by the erythrocyte thereby resulting in chronic anemia, pain, organ damage, capillary obstruction and other complications. The deformation primarily occurs due to mutation of a single base pair in the β-globin gene. This in turn results in the substitution of Glutamic Acid for Valine at the 6th position of the β-globin chain of the haemoglobin. The common form of Sickle-cell anemia is termed haemoglobin S (HbS). (Inati, 2009) The β-globin gene is located on the autologous chromosomes and therefore present in two copies in the human genetic make up.
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