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Chapter 22: Problem 38

What kind of intermolecular forces are responsible for the aggregation of hemoglobin molecules that leads to sickle-cell anemia?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The aggregation of hemoglobin molecules in sickle-cell anemia is largely due to hydrophobic interactions, which are a specific type of intermolecular force.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Intermolecular Forces

Intermolecular forces are the forces of attraction or repulsion that act between neighboring particles (atoms, molecules, or ions). They are weak compared to the intramolecular forces, the forces which keep a molecule together. Types include: 1) London Dispersion Forces 2) Dipole-dipole interactions 3) Hydrogen bonding 4) Ion-dipole forces.
02

Understanding Hemoglobin molecules in Sickle-cell anemia

Hemoglobin is a protein molecule in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues and returns carbon dioxide from the tissues back to the lungs. In sickle cell anemia, the red blood cells become deformed and sickle shaped. This is because the hemoglobin molecules inside the cells stick together, or aggregate.
03

Identifying the relevant intermolecular forces

Hemoglobin aggregation in the case of sickle cell anemia is due to a specific form of intermolecular interaction called Hydrogen bonding. Hemoglobin molecules in individuals with sickle cell anemia have a mutation that makes the molecules tend to stick together when they lose their oxygen. This is a case of a hydrophobic interaction, which is somewhat related to hydrogen bonds. In the deoxygenated state, the mutated hemoglobin molecules expose a hydrophobic (water-repelling) region that sticks to hydrophobic regions on other hemoglobin molecules. Note that while this interaction is indeed an intermolecular force it differs somewhat from the classic forces such as hydrogen bonding, London Dispersion, etc.

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