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How Do Fibers Form?

Topic
  • Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
  • Macromolecules
  • Genetics
  • Genetic Disease
Resource Type
  • Activities
  • Labs & Demos
Level
High School — GeneralHigh School — AP/IBCollege
Favorited By
5 Users
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View in Spanish
Description

In this activity, students construct models of sickle cell hemoglobin fibers inside red blood cells to illustrate how changes in the structure of a protein can affect cell shape, as described in the short film The Making of the Fittest: Natural Selection in Humans.

Students step through a procedure for constructing paper models of wild type and mutant hemoglobin molecules. They build mutant hemoglobin fibers to show how these cause red blood cells to take on a different two-dimensional shape. Students then answer questions to explain how these changes in protein and cell structure relate to disease symptoms.

Student Learning Targets
  • Use models of sickle cell hemoglobin (HbS) and normal adult hemoglobin (HbA) to explain why fibers form in some red blood cells (RBCs).
Details
Estimated Time
Three 50-minute class periods.
Key Terms

amino acid, autosome, dominant trait, HbA, HbS, heterozygote, homozygote, malaria, messenger RNA (mRNA), mutation, recessive trait

Primary Literature

Allison, Anthony C. “The Discovery of Resistance to Malaria of Sickle-Cell Zygotes.” Mini-Series: Significant Contributions to Biological Chemistry Over the Past 125 Years. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education 30, 5 (2002): 279‒287. https://doi.org/10.1002/bmb.2002.494030050108.

Terms of Use

Please see the Terms of Use for information on how this resource can be used.

Version History
Date Published 03.07.11
Curriculum Connections
NGSS (2013)

HS-LS1-1, HS-LS1-2, HS-LS3-1; SEP2

AP Biology (2019)

IST-1.K, IST-1.N, IST-1.O, IST-1.I, SYI-1.A, SYI-1.B, SYI-1.C, SYI-3.C; SP2, SP6

IB Biology (2016)

2.4, 2.7, 3.1, 3.4

Common Core (2010)

ELA.RST.9–12.3, ELA.RST.9–12.9

Vision and Change (2009)

CC2, CC3; DP3

Materials
Student Handout (PDF) 385 KB
Educator Materials (PDF) 241 KB
Student Handout - Español (PDF) 463 KB
Teacher Materials - Español (PDF) 341 KB
Additional Materials
  • scissors 
  • tape 
  • copies of the four types of Hb molecules 
  • eight mosquito netting circles, each with an 8-centimeter diameter, per setup 
  • four sheets of blank copy paper per setup 
     
Use This Resource With
Video Resource
The Making of the Fittest: Natural Selection in Humans

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