How does sickle cell anemia illustrate the importance of primary structure?
AP Biology Unit 1 Topic 1.4 and 1.5: Proteins, Amino Acids, Peptide Bonds, and Four Levels of Protein Structure
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How does sickle cell anemia illustrate the importance of primary structure?
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Sickle cell anemia is caused by a single amino acid substitution in the hemoglobin protein, where glutamic acid is replaced by valine. This tiny change in primary structure causes hemoglobin molecules to clump together under low oxygen conditions, distorting red blood cells into a sickle shape that blocks blood vessels.
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