G6PD Protein

On pages 74-77 and 87-91 Dr. Maolem talks about the enzyme G6PD and how its deficiency can have a major impact on the body. This relates to Big Idea #3, which states: Living systems store, retrieve, transmit, and respond to information essential to life processes; G6PD is an important enzyme in maintaining cellular integrity and cleaning up harmful chemical elements that may destroy the cell. Explain in detail what the G6PD enzyme is and does. Also, explain what free radicals are and how they relate to G6PD and the effects they have on us.

The gene that produces the G6PD protein is carried on the X chromosome. It is an X-linked disorder and is only switched on when there is a trigger. Having had the trigger pulled, describe and explain what the positive and negative effects the deficiency has on us and if there is an explanation for why the deficiency could have a positive impact. In relationship to the type of disorder, connect it back to the last unit and explain what an X-linked disorder means and what it means for the allele frequency. Finally, what would be an ideal genotype for a person living in the Middle East/African regions?

Pranathi Merneedi (pmernee4@students.d125.org)