Electrophoresis is the movement of charged molecules under the influence of an electric field. Because amino acids and proteins are charged molecules, they migrate in an electric field at appropriate pH values. Hemoglobin is the major protein inside red blood cells. Its primary function is to transport oxygen. When used in an electrophoresis experiment traits and diseases are easily determined because of where the proteins and amino acids migrate on the gel plate. When oxygen concentration in the blood decrease the defective molecule forms long crystals inside the red blood cells to elongate and assume a "sickle" shape. The crystallized hemoglobin also damages the cell membrane so that the cells become very fragile. Sickle cell disease is a genetic diso

rder that is caused by a single amino acid change in the hemoglobin. In this particular experiment, electrophoresis was used to distinguish whether or not each sample of blood was normal hemoglobin, blood with the sickle cell trait, or blood with the sickle cell disease.

The hypothesis concerning this experiment was that considering the hemoglobin of sickle cell disease has a different amino acid that normal hemoglobin or a carrier for the disease it will migrate to a different space on the gel plate than the normal hemoglobin or carrier. The hemoglobin that is a carrier for sickle cell disease has both amino acids, therefore, it will fill both the space designated for normal hemoglobin as well as the diseased hemoglobin.

The results of this experiment proved true the previously stated hypothesis. The outcome was exactly what was expected. Whe

Some common words found in the essay are:
Predicted Resulted, Purpose Electrophoresis, sickle cell, sickle cell disease, cell disease, normal hemoglobin, sickle cell trait, amino acids, cell trait, hemoglobin carrier, inside red blood, red blood cells, blood sickle cell, blood cells, inside red, gel plate, red blood,
Approximate Word count = 576
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)