Essay On DNA Discoveries

This paper explores the history and some interesting facts about DNA. The last couple centuries have seen an exponential growth in our knowledge of DNA. The history of the DNA can be traced back to multiple devoted scientist. This article attempts to summarize, and review the basic history of DNA while providing some fascinating information about it.

believed that genetically aberrant hemoglobin evolved as a protection against malaria."(2) It has also been said that, "People with a single copy of a particular genetic mutation [sickle cell trait] have a survival advantage. One copy of the mutation confers a benefit." (3) Its quite interesting to find that original purpose of this gene was

Sickle cell anemia occurs when a person inherits two abnormal genes (one from each parent) that cause their red blood cells to change shape. Instead of being flexible and round, these cells are more rigid and curved in the shape of the farm tool known as a sickle - that's where the disease gets its name. The shape

Sickle Cell Disease is an autosomal recessive genetic disease that occurs due to a mutation in the β-globin gene of hemoglobin. Autosomal meaning that it is not linked to a sex chromosome, so either parent can pass on the gene to their child. This mutation is a result of a single substitution of amino acids, Glutamic for Valine at position 6 of a β globin chain. The presence of this mutation causes

Among human beings, Sickle-Cell Anemia is a particularly well-studied example of adaptation. This chapter teaches me that Sickle-Cell Anemia is a painful disease in which oxygen-carrying red blood cells change shape and clog the finest parts of the circulatory system (page 57). Sickle- Cell changes their shape from the usual discs to shrunken sickle shapes. These sickle shaped red blood cell gives the disease its name. This type of disease is caused by a genetic mutation in a single base of the hemoglobin genes (page 58). It is considered that this disease is the result of when two abnormal Hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that passed down from parents to child as an autosomal recessive pattern. I don't not know anyone personally with

The disease is caused by a mutated version of the gene that help makes hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the protein that carries oxygen in red blood cells. Sickle cell is a disorder in the blood caused by abnormal hemoglobin proteins. The abnormal hemoglobin protein caused sickle cell shaped red blood cells. The sickle cell red blood cells are crescent shapes and can clog up very easily in blood canals. In the diagram to the right it shows how a mutation causes a change in the amino acid.

All of the cells within the tissues of the body need a regular supply of oxygen to function. The hemoglobin found in red blood cells (RBC’s) are essential for the proper transport of oxygen molecules. They bind oxygen in the lungs and carry to every tissue within the body. Due to the structure of hemoglobin, normal RBC’s are donut shaped with a concaved center. This flexible shape is what allows the BRC’s to move freely into very small spaces such as capillaries where they will deliver their oxygen. Sickle cell anemia or other diseases that fall within the broader group of disorders characterized by SCD describe conditions where the protein (hemoglobin) has misfolded and altered the shape of the cell. Sickle hemoglobin allows for the formation of stiff rods within the red blood cell giving it a sickle, or crescent shape. This new shape is not flexible and can block or slow the flow of blood. When this occurs, oxygen cannot reach its intended tissues. This results in severe pain called crises, and these attacks occur

The genetic disorder I will be discussing is Sickle Cell Disease. Sickle Cell Disease is an inherited blood disorder. Children who have this disease have two defective hemoglobin S genes, which they receive one from each parent. This gene occurs in chromosome 11. The sickle cell gene is passed from generation to generation in a pattern of inheritance called autosomal recessive inheritance. This means that both the mother and the father must pass on the defective form of the gene for a child to be affected. If only one parent passes the sickle cell gene to the child, that child will have the sickle cell trait.

DNA, Deoxyribonucleic Acid, is the basic structure for all life, it is the blueprint, the instruction manual, on how to build a living organism. DNA is made up of four nitrogen bases, adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine which are connected by sugar-phosphate bonds. Through a process called Protein Synthesis, the nitrogen bases are the code for the creation of amino acids. Essentially, DNA makes amino acids, amino acids make proteins, proteins make organisms. This process has been taking place for much longer than scientists have been able to document. Those scientists are called geneticists and their field is genetics.

Even the slightest changes within a single protein may greatly affect the health of a human being and their descendants. Sickle cell blood anemia is a type of blood disorder in which the proteins within the affected person have slightly mutated in order to form a sickle shaped cell. This can cause chronic health problems to a patient that has sickle cell anemia since their sickle shaped blood cells may obstruct their circulatory system. Despite this disease being chronic, a patient can only get sickle cell anemia if they have inherited it. Sickle cell anemia is most commonly inherited by African Americans and Hispanics. In other words, sickle cell anemia is a chronic disease in which a person is inheritably born with some sickle shaped blood

Thousands of years ago, a genetic mutation occurred in people from the Mediterranean basin, India, Africa, and the Middle East. As the Malaria Epidemic attacked people of these countries, carriers of the defective hemoglobin gene survived. Carrying one defective gene means that a person has a sickle cell trait. Two parents with the trait will produce a child with sickle cell anemia. People of these countries migrated and spread to other areas. In the Western Hemisphere, where malaria is not much of a problem, having the abnormal hemoglobin gene has lost its advantage. Any child born from parents that each has the trait will be born with the disease.

On a more specific approach, “Sickle cell disease (SCD) and its variants are genetic disorders resulting from the presence of a mutated form of hemoglobin, hemoglobin S (HbS). HbS arises from a mutation substituting thymine for adenine in the sixth codon of the beta-chain gene, GAG to GTG. This causes coding of valine instead of glutamate in position 6 of the Hb beta chain.” (Sickle Cell Anemia: Practice Essentials, Background, Genetics. n.d.)

DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid is a long molecule that contains our unique genetic code. Like a recipe book it holds the instructions for making all the proteins in our bodies. DNA is a long thin molecule called nucleotides. There are four different types of nucleotides: adenine, thymine, cytosine and guanine which are sometimes called bases. What holds the nucleotides together? A backbone made of phosphate and deoxyribose. The DNA code looks like this: ATC TGA GGA AAT GAC CAG and is also called the codon.

The work of these four people led to a complete restructuring of the beliefs of the scientific community regarding genetic information. Their initial word led to further work which encompassed their hypothesis of how DNA replicates itself. From this work came the modern technologies of DNA fingerprinting and sequencing.

The gene for a trait undergoes a process called transcription. This is a process in which the sematic of the body's make-up is recorded from one cell to another for example when DNA turns into RNA, which the body will accept and carry out to start the next step in the transformation. The next process is the conversion of RNA to the actual outcome, when a protein is formed. Thus, proteins that are formed play certain roles as the body synthesizes those specific proteins for the exact job at the exact time. Some of the diseases affected by this are sickle cell, malaria and cancer.