Linus Pauling incorporated hemoglobin and a disease of the blood, sickle cell
anemia, into many of his researches between the mid-1930s and mid-1970s. In the
early 1930s Pauling became interested in organic chemistry and named hemoglobin
as one of the first biochemical substances that he planned to analyze. In 1935 he
published his first paper on hemoglobin, which determined the structure of the four
hemes in hemoglobin. Pauling continued to study the structure of hemoglobin until
the early 1950s when he proposed that it was an alpha-helix. In 1945 Pauling learned
about sickle cell anemia and published an important paper in 1949 with Harvey A.
Itano, S.J. Singer, and Ibert C. Wells titled "Sickle Cell Anemia, a Molecular
Disease." Pauling investigated hemoglobin into the mid-1970s when he tried to find
an orthomolecular therapy for sickle cell anemia. From the mid-1950s to early 1970s,
Pauling also used sickle cell anemia to promote negative eugenics, point out the
possible mutagenic effects caused by nuclear weapons testing, and propose an
evolutionary theory. Additionally, in the final year of his life, Pauling wrote two
forewords for books on sickle cell anemia, which were published in 1994, the year he
died. Hemoglobin and sickle cell anemia can be considered a theme within Pauling's
work. He often returned to normal and abnormal hemoglobin as his primary
substance for examination, and his familiarity with hemoglobin and sickle cell anemia
inspired new research. / Graduation date: 2004
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/30418 |
| Date | 22 October 2003 |
| Creators | Gormlet, Melinda (Melinda Brooke) |
| Contributors | Nye, Mary Jo |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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