Sickle cell anemia

What it isDisease passed down through families.Red blood cells contain an iron-rich protein called hemoglobin.Sickle cell anemia is caused by an abnormal type of hemoglobin called hemoglobin S. The red blood cells are shaped in a cresent shape instead of normal disc (like a doughnut without hole). This protein carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. Sickle cells are stiff andsticky and they tend to block blood flow in the blood vesssels of the limbs and organs.How do you get it?Sickle cell anemia is inherited from both parents. They inherit two genes for sickle hemoglobin- one from each parent. People who are a carrier of sickle cell anemia have sickle cell trait, which mean they don’t have the disease, although they can pass the sickle hemoglobin gene to their children.how is it identified?blood testing is now mandated in newborn babies and is how sickle cell anemia is diagnosed. sickle cell anemia is found on chromosome 11 and is a substitution in the hemoglobin gene.

treatments and cures:No widely available cure, only treatments to help the medical problems resulting from sickle cell anemia. these include:Blood transfusions, Pain medicines, Plenty of fluids, Blood and marrow stem cell transplant, Hydroxyurea(Helps reduce the number of pain episodes including chest pain and breathing problems), and antibiotics(which help prevent infections).There is gene therapy- researchers want to know wether a normal gene can be put into bone marrow stem cells of a person who has sickle cell anemia, this would cause the body to make normal red blood cells.

what are the chances?affects 70,000-100,000 people mainly African Americans. Occurs every 1 out of 500 african American births. 1 out of every 36,000 hispanic American births. Moe than 2 million Americans have sickle cell trait.

symptons of sickle cell anemia:Fatigue, Paleness,Rapid heart rate,Shortness of breath,Yellowing of the eyes and skin,Poor eye sight, Pain in back, legs, joints, and chest. medical issue caused from sickle cell anemia:Spleen stops working,Bone infection (osteomyelitis), Gallbladder infection (cholecystitis), Lung infection (pneumonia), Urinary tract infection, and Kidney failure

Sickle Cell Anemia

example of an inheritance pattern for sickle cell

Ashley Wechsler7th period

In sickle cell disease, the gene that produces hemoglobin, called HBB, has been mutated (hemoglobin S). this gene is located on chromsome 11 (11p15).