Hemoglobin

Adaptation at elevated altitudes in human beings is a process of evolutionary adaptation in populations of Tibet, the Andes and Ethiopia. These people have attained the power of survival at extreme climate conditions (Beall et al., 2002). As life at high altitude is tough, this causes adaptational mechanisms among these inhabitants (Van Patot & Gassmann, 2011). While these severe conditions would have an abysmal negative effect on the health of human beings throughout the planet, the…

Tay-Sachs disease is a rare fatal genetic disorder, which occurs in children and characterized by progressive destruction of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Children with Tay-Sachs are born with the absence of an important enzyme, hexosaminidase A (HEXA). This enzyme is found in lysosomes, where it breaks fatty acids called GM2 ganglioside. The absence of hexosaminidase A causes GM2 ganglioside to build up in nerve cells to toxic level, causing its damage and the symptoms of the…

The respiratory system is a vital factor of gas exchange due to its structure. The structure provides an efficiency to the process due gas exchange requiring an efficient system. Gas exchange requires an efficient system because it is a process through which blood circulates around the body, collects oxygen, delivers the oxygen to the organs that require it and releases carbon dioxide. Oxygen enters the body, and carbon dioxide exits the body in opposite the direction. Gas exchange occurs across…

Hemophilia is a genetic blood disease in which blood does not clot normally.This disease because certain blood clotting factors are missing or do not work properly.The two main types of hemophilia are A and B.Although the two types have very similar signs and symptoms, they are caused by mutations in different genes. Hemophilia-A is an X linked bleeding disorder resulting from a defect in a protein known as coagulation factor VIII. Since the disorder is X linked it is expressed mainly in…

Alkaptonuria is a metabolic disorder which can be identified by the accumulation of hemogenetistic acid in the body. This leads to dark urine, pigmentation of connective tissues, arthritis in the spine and joints, and the destruction of the cardiac valves. Scientist 1: Sir Archibald Edward Garrod (1857-1936) Sir Archibald Edward Garrod, born on November 25 1857 from London, United Kingdom. He was an English physician who explored the field of inborn errors of metabolism. When Garrod was…

Rhabdomyolysis is a severe syndrome caused by a direct or indirect skeletal muscle injury. The damage sustained results in the muscle fibres releasing myoglobin, creatine kinase, potassium and other proteins and ions into the bloodstream [1]. The breakdown products produced by myoglobin can results in kidney damage and the high levels of blood potassium can result in cardiac arrest. Severe muscle trauma can also cause damage and leakage of blood vessels, resulting in an increased level of…

When thinking about the Mayan civilization in the common mind, anemia is most likely not even a thought associated with the Maya. Instead, one may think of the architecture, culture, and reputation. In a 2011 article published by Katie Whitaker for the University of Ontario Journal of Anthropology, she explains the correlation between the Maya population and the evidence of anemia that was often overlooked since it was not a life-threatening disease such as the more common diseases like syphilis…

Iron deficiency is the largest nutritional deficiency globally, with an estimated 52% of pregnant women in developing countries identified as iron deficient (Gautam CS et. al 2008) and approximately 25% in Australia (Thorogood C & Donaldson, C 2015). Iron supplementation is commonly used complimentary medicine within midwifery care as a significant number of women suffer from the most common form of anaemia, iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA) (Reveiz L et. al 2011). In Australia during the perinatal…

Pernicious Anemia There are many types of diseases that are categorized in either immune or autoimmune disease. A common disease is pernicious anemia that is known to be dangerous and is a condition in which the body does not have enough healthy blood cells. When the intestines cannot properly absorb vitamin B12, then the body has a small amount of red blood cells. The word ‘pernicious’ means deadly due to that in the past, there was no treatment or any ways to prevent it. Pernicious anemia is…

Other types of anaemia include: 1. THALASSAEMIA: Thalassaemia are inherited blood disorders which cause the body to make fewer healthy red blood cells and less haemoglobin (an iron-rich protein in red blood cells). The two major types of thalassaemia are alpha- and beta thalassaemia. Haemoglobin in red blood cells has two kinds of protein chains: alpha globin and beta globin. If the body doesn't make enough of these protein chains, red blood cells don't form properly and can't carry enough…