ANT336H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Sickle-Cell Disease, Thalassemia, Plasmodium Falciparum
Document Summary
The most dangerous animal in africa is plasmodium falciparum. Parasites move into red blood cells and sometimes into the liver. Sickle cell anemia hereditary blood disorder, characterized by red blood cells that assume an abnormal sickle shape. Due to the sickle shape the molecule is not efective in taking or releasing oxygen. Cause is a mutation in the hemoglobin gene. Mutation in both alleles leads to severe complications and shortens life expectancy. Most common in central and west africa. Is the result of a change of a single nucleotide. Heterozygous individuals are at an advantage, they are less likely to get malaria and if they do get it, it is much less severe. Plasmodium a large genus of parasitic protozoa (over 200 species) Probably evolved from dinolagellates (algae-like), a group of photosynthesizing protozoa. They still carry a plastid, a non- photosynthesizing remnant of chloroplasts. Always has 2 hosts an insect, usually a mosquito, and a vertebrate.
