Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Multiple Allele Traits01:49

Multiple Allele Traits

The Concept of Multiple Allelism
Translation01:31

Translation

Lesson: Translation
Translation is the process of synthesizing proteins from the genetic information carried by messenger RNA (mRNA). Following transcription, it constitutes the final step in the expression of genes. This process is carried out by ribosomes, complexes of protein and specialized RNA molecules. Ribosomes, transfer RNA (tRNA), and other proteins produce a chain of amino acids—the polypeptide—as the end product of translation.
Translation Produces the Building Blocks of Life
Protein and Protein Structure02:15

Protein and Protein Structure

Proteins are one of the most abundant organic molecules in living systems and have the most diverse range of functions of all macromolecules. Proteins may be structural, regulatory, contractile, or protective. They may serve in transport, storage, or membranes; or they may be toxins or enzymes. Their structures, like their functions, vary greatly. They are all, however, amino acid polymers arranged in a linear sequence.
A protein's shape is critical to its function. For example, an enzyme can...
Protein Complex Assembly02:41

Protein Complex Assembly

Proteins can form homomeric complexes with another unit of the same protein or heteromeric complexes with different types.  Most protein complexes self-assemble spontaneously via ordered pathways, while some proteins need assembly factors that guide their proper assembly. Despite the crowded intracellular environment, proteins usually interact with their correct partners and form functional complexes.
Many viruses self-assemble into a fully functional unit using the infected host cell to...
Polymer Classification: Stereospecificity01:26

Polymer Classification: Stereospecificity

Polymerization generates chiral centers along the entire backbone of a polymer chain. Accordingly, the stereochemistry of the substituent group has a significant effect on polymer properties. Polymers formed from monosubstituted alkene monomers feature chiral carbons at every alternate position in the polymer backbone. Relative to the predominant orientation of substituents at the adjacent chiral carbons, the polymer can exist in three different configurations: isotactic, syndiotactic, and...
Translation01:31

Translation

Lesson: Translation
Translation is the process of synthesizing proteins from the genetic information carried by messenger RNA (mRNA). Following transcription, it constitutes the final step in the expression of genes. This process is carried out by ribosomes, complexes of protein and specialized RNA molecules. Ribosomes, transfer RNA (tRNA), and other proteins produce a chain of amino acids—the polypeptide—as the end product of translation.
Translation Produces the Building Blocks of Life

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Novel single-cell measurements suggest irreversibly sickled cells are neither dense nor dehydrated.

Biophysical journal·2024
Same author

An α-chain modification rivals the effect of fetal hemoglobin in retarding the rate of sickle cell fiber formation.

Scientific reports·2023
Same author

Voxelotor does not inhibit sickle hemoglobin fiber formation upon complete deoxygenation.

Biophysical journal·2023
Same author

More of the same? Voxelotor spawns a successor, but on what success does it build?

British journal of haematology·2023
Same author

The Sickle-Cell Fiber Revisited.

Biomolecules·2023
Same author

More to voxelotor than meets the eye?

Blood advances·2022

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Experimental and Imaging Techniques for Examining Fibrin Clot Structures in Normal and Diseased States
07:09

Experimental and Imaging Techniques for Examining Fibrin Clot Structures in Normal and Diseased States

Published on: April 1, 2015

Polymerization and sickle cell disease: a molecular view.

Frank A Ferrone1

  • 1Department of Physics, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. fferrone@drexel.edu

Microcirculation (New York, N.Y. : 1994)
|July 29, 2004
PubMed
Summary

This review explores molecular mechanisms of sickle cell disease (SCD), explaining when red blood cells sickle and cause blockages. It connects thermodynamics and rheology to understand SCD pathophysiology.

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Hematology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Sickle cell disease (SCD) pathophysiology involves complex molecular events.
  • Understanding the triggers for red blood cell sickling and vaso-occlusion is crucial for SCD management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the molecular understanding of polymerization and sickling in sickle hemoglobin.
  • To address key questions regarding the timing of cell sickling and vaso-occlusion in SCD.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on polymerization and sickling mechanisms.
  • Inclusion of recent findings on crowding effects and fiber depolymerization.
  • Analysis of thermodynamic and rheological properties.

Main Results:

More Related Videos

Magnetic Levitation Coupled with Portable Imaging and Analysis for Disease Diagnostics
07:42

Magnetic Levitation Coupled with Portable Imaging and Analysis for Disease Diagnostics

Published on: February 19, 2017

Characterization of Sickling During Controlled Automated Deoxygenation with Oxygen Gradient Ektacytometry
08:23

Characterization of Sickling During Controlled Automated Deoxygenation with Oxygen Gradient Ektacytometry

Published on: November 5, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Experimental and Imaging Techniques for Examining Fibrin Clot Structures in Normal and Diseased States
07:09

Experimental and Imaging Techniques for Examining Fibrin Clot Structures in Normal and Diseased States

Published on: April 1, 2015

Magnetic Levitation Coupled with Portable Imaging and Analysis for Disease Diagnostics
07:42

Magnetic Levitation Coupled with Portable Imaging and Analysis for Disease Diagnostics

Published on: February 19, 2017

Characterization of Sickling During Controlled Automated Deoxygenation with Oxygen Gradient Ektacytometry
08:23

Characterization of Sickling During Controlled Automated Deoxygenation with Oxygen Gradient Ektacytometry

Published on: November 5, 2019

  • Detailed description of the double nucleation mechanism in sickling.
  • Insights into how crowding influences sickling under physiological conditions.
  • New measurements of individual fiber stiffness and depolymerization dynamics.

Conclusions:

  • Fundamental knowledge on polymerization and sickling is essential for understanding SCD.
  • A connection between thermodynamics and rheology provides a new perspective on SCD pathology.
  • Physiological applicability of molecular insights is emphasized.