Sickle Cell Anemia
Abstract Sickle cell anemia is a group of inherited red blood cell disorders. Normal red blood cells are round like doughnuts, and they move through small tubes in the body to deliver oxygen. Sickle red blood cells become hard, sticky and shaped like sickles used to cut wheat. When these hard and pointed red cells go through the small blood tube, they clog the flow and break apart. This can cause pain, damage, or low blood count, or anemia. The red cell sickle is made from a substance in the red cell called hemoglobin that carries oxygen into the cell. One little change in this substance causes the hemoglobin to form long rods in the red cell when it gives away oxygen. These ridged rods change the red cell into a sickle shape. You can only get sickle cell anemia from inheriting it from both parents who are carries of the disease. You can not catch it and it is not air borne. You are born with the sickle cell hemoglobin and it is present for life. It is common with African Americans but it is also in other nationalities such as Arabs,
Greeks, Italians, Latin Americans, and Native Americans. All races should be screened for this hemoglobin at birth though (www.bigchalk.com). Symptoms of sickle cell amenia is a family history of the disease, fatigue, breathlessness, rapid heart rate, delayed growth and puberty, susceptibility to infections, ulcers on the lower legs, jaundice, bone pain, attacks of abdominal pain, weakness, joint pain, fever, and vomiting. Because this disease can be life-threatening, early diagnosis and treatment is vital (http://health.yahoo.com/health). I have found in general that sickle cell amenia is an incurable disease that they can give treatments to. The disease is autosomal and parents with children of this disease have to avoid strenuous physical activity, emotional stress, and areas of low oxygen content. They would also have to keep the child highly hydrated and keep the child properly immunized at recommended b the health care provider. In sickle cell anemia, the substitution of one nucleotide results in a sing incorrect amino acid at a cruc
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Approximate Word count = 710
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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