Discovering Sickle Cell Anemia

Essay by Amanda AndersonHigh School, 10th gradeA+, April 1997

download word file, 5 pages 3.0

Its a 4 and a half page report all about Sickle Cell Anemia Lots of good information and statistics, Great job!

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The topic that I am learning about is Sickle Cell Anemia, a hereditary disease which affects red blood cells. Throughout this research paper, I will discuss what exactly it is, how it is caused, any known treatments or cures, and many other facts that are important in this disease.

Sickle Cell Anemia is a health problem throughout the world. More than 250,000 babies are born worldwide with this inherited blood cell disorder (http://www.medaccess.com/h_child/sickle/sca_01.htm). The disorder causes red blood cells to extend into a sickle shape which clogs the arteries. Persistant pain and life-threatening infections result from the illness. About one in 400 black newborns in the U.S. have sickle cell anemia. And one in 12 black Americans carry the sickle cell trait (http://www.medaccess.com/h_child/sickle/sca_01.htm). This leaves a good chance that the parent with the trait can pass the defect onto offspring although their own health is not harmed.

The cause of sickle cell anemia is rather simple but it leaves a life threatening affect. Anyone who carries the inherited trait for sickle cell anemia, but doesn't have the disorder, is actually protected from a severe form of malaria. This helped the children in countries where malaria was a problem, to be able to survive against that disease. What happened to those children? They grew up, had their own children and ended up passing the gene for sickle cell anemia onto their offspring.

This disease is a hereditary blood disorder that affects the red blood cell. Red blood cells contain a protein called hemoglobin which transports oxygen from your lungs to every part of your body. Hemoglobin's oxygen carrying ability is essential for living but if there is a...