Question

1. explain how anemia negatively impacts the process of cellular respiration. in your answer be sure to discuss the inputs and the outputs for respiration.

there is one type of anemia that is related to the shape of the hbb protein. when a person has sickle cell anemia, the hemoglobin protein forms long chains that change the shape of the red blood cell. instead of a disc shaped structure that moves easily through blood vessels, sickled blood cells are shaped like bananas. the reason they have a sickled shape is because the underlying gene has the wrong instructions. these misshapen blood cells get clogged in vessels and dont have the life expectancy of normal blood cells. a person with sickle cell disease will experience fatigue (feeling tired) and have episodes of extreme pain, called a pain crisis. sickled blood cells that block vessels in the brain can even cause a stroke.

sickle cell anemia is a life threatening disease that affects about 100,000 americans. it is an inherited disease that is passed from parents to their children, but since it is recessive parents can be carriers of the gene and not have any symptoms. if both parents are carriers, their children have a 25% chance of having sickle cell anemia.

1. sickle cell disease is most accurately described as:

a. a painful condition that only affects older adults
b. an inherited condition that affects the blood
c. an infectious and potentially lethal condition

1. using support from the text, explain why the blood cells are sickle shaped.

1. explain what it means for someone to be a \carrier\?

1. given the following genotypes, describe the phenotypes as either normal, carrier, or sickle cell disease

aa =
aa =
aa =

Explanation:

Question 3:

Cellular respiration requires oxygen (a key input) to produce ATP (main output, energy for cells), along with carbon dioxide and water as byproducts. Anemia reduces the number of functional red blood cells or hemoglobin. This cuts the oxygen supply to body cells. With insufficient oxygen, cells cannot carry out aerobic cellular respiration efficiently, relying more on anaerobic respiration which produces less ATP and lactic acid (causing fatigue). The reduced ATP production impairs all cellular functions, leading to symptoms like weakness and tiredness.

Question 4:

Option a is incorrect because sickle cell disease affects people of all ages, not just older adults. Option c is incorrect because it is an inherited, not infectious, condition. Option b matches the text description that it is an inherited blood condition.

Question 5:

The text states that sickle cell anemia is linked to the HBB protein. The underlying gene has incorrect instructions, causing the hemoglobin protein to form long chains. These chains alter the red blood cell's shape from a disc to a sickle/banana shape.

Question 6:

The text explains sickle cell anemia is a recessive inherited disease. A carrier has one copy of the recessive gene for the disease but does not show any symptoms of sickle cell disease. They can pass the gene to their children.

Question 7:

Since sickle cell anemia is recessive:

• AA means two dominant normal genes, so the phenotype is normal.
• Aa means one dominant normal gene and one recessive sickle cell gene, so the phenotype is carrier.
• aa means two recessive sickle cell genes, so the phenotype is sickle cell disease.

Answer:

1. Anemia reduces oxygen-carrying red blood cells/hemoglobin, limiting the oxygen input for cellular respiration. Without enough oxygen, cells make far less ATP (the main energy output of respiration) and rely on inefficient anaerobic respiration, leading to fatigue and impaired cell function.
2. b. an inherited condition that affects the blood
3. The underlying gene for the HBB protein has incorrect instructions. This causes hemoglobin to form long chains, which change the red blood cell's shape from a disc to a sickle/banana shape.
4. A carrier is a person who has one copy of the recessive gene for sickle cell anemia but does not have any symptoms of the disease. They can pass the gene to their offspring.
5. AA = normal

Aa = carrier
aa = sickle cell disease