sickle-cell anemia single DNA base hemoglobin fibers

One change in DNA can distort red blood cells

Sickle-cell anemia can result from a change in just one DNA letter. That tiny change alters hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in blood. The altered protein can form long fibers that bend red blood cells out of shape and make them more likely to block blood vessels.

Viruses can kill bacteria and feed other life

Some viruses in water infect bacteria and break the cells open. The material released from the dead bacteria becomes food and nutrients for other bacteria and algae. Viruses can therefore help recycle material through aquatic ecosystems.

Veins look blue, but the blood inside them is red

Veins near the skin can look blue because light changes as it passes through skin and because of how our vision interprets it. The oxygen-poor blood inside veins is actually dark red, not blue.

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sickle-cell anemia single DNA base hemoglobin fibers

One change in DNA can distort red blood cells

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