Crisis Caused by a Single Amino Acid: Modeling Sickle Cell Disease

Diane Sweeney
Prince of Peace Lutheran School

Model 1

The three-dimensional model of hemoglobin S is made from chenille stems and buttons. Red and pink chenille stems. The red buttons represent the heme groups of hemoglobin. The pom poms represent the changed amino acid in sickle trait hemoglobin.

Model 2

This model represents ten deoxyhemoglobin S molecules inside a red blood cell. The post-it note model of deoxyhemoglobin S is divided into four segments corresponding to the four globin molecules. Two chains are labeled “alpha” and two “beta.” The dots represent the valine amino acid change on the beta globins.

The effect of the polymerization of deoxyhemoglobin S and the distortion of the red blood cell is modeled by rearranging the molecules and reshaping the cell membrane (the red chenille stem).