SickleCell+Anemia

 Sickle Cell Anemia Sickle cell anemia is an autosomal recessive inhertited disorder. It is caused by a defected hemoglobin gene. Hemoglobin is a protein molecule located in red blood cells. They tend to clump together, making red blood cells sticky, stiff, and more fragile. It causes them to form into a curved, sickle shape. Basically, if you have sickle cell anemia, its a blood disorder that causes your red blood cells to be abnormal and not able to flow threw small vessels like normal red blood cells would be able to. Sickle cell is found on the 15.5 region on the short arm of the chromosome 11

__** Symptoms: **__ They vary from mild to severe but have the same problems: the red blood cells get stuck in narrow blood vessels causing a blockage in the flow of blood. They result in:
 * *Fatigue, paleness, and shortness of breath
 * *Pain that occurs unpredictably in any body organ or joint (a person may experience pain wherever sickled blood cells block the oxygen flow to tissues. The frequency and amount of pain may vary.)
 * *Yellowing of skin and eyes (signs of jaundice, results from rapid breakdown of red blood cells)

__** Effects: **__ Some effects would be: strokes, eye problems, and delayed growth. __**Who does it effect?:**__ It effects millions of people throughout the world but its most common to recieve the disease are the people who have ancestors that come from Africa, Mediterranean countries like Turkey or Italy, the Arabian Peninsula, India, and Spanish-speaking regions. The disease is estimated to happen in 1 in 500 African Americans and 1 in 1,000 to 1,400 Hispanic Americans.

__**Treatment:**__ So far there isn't a cure for sickle cell anemia but doctors can help. Basic treatment to relieve pain consists of heavy pain killers, oral and intervounous fluids, and sometimes even blood transfusions. Doctors also give folic acid, a vitamin that helps the body produce new red blood cells.

Link to Sickle Cell video: [|http://health.discovery.com/videos/human-atlas-sickle-cell-anemia.html] Link to Sickle Cell animation: http://www.dnai.org/text/mediashowcase/index2.html?id=609

Sources: [] http://www.sicklecelldisease.org/about_scd/index.phtml http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Sca/SCA_WhatIs.html

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