Sickle+Cell+Anemia+and+Gel+Filtration+Chromatography

Many changes in the structure of hemoglobin have arisen by mutations. About one person in 100 carries a mutant hemoglobin gene, and these individuals have abnormal hemoglobin molecules in their blood. One of the most common abnormal hemoglobins is hemoglobin S, which causes sickle cell anemia. When the gene for hemoglobin S is inherited from both parents, all of the hemoglobin in the circulation is hemoglobin S and the individual suffers from severe anemia. An electrophoretic procedure is used to illustrate the various types of hemoglobin in the first part of this laboratory exercise. In the second part, Students use the technique of gel filtration chromatography to isolate hemoglobin and then to determine its size.