What is sickle cell?

Question

How does it affect the person who has it?

Answer 1

Sickle Cell is an inherited disease which causes the red blood cells to adopt a sickle (or "cresecent moon") shape rather than their normal circular shape. It means that the affected cells are much less efficient at carrying oxygen around the body.

The one advantage of Sickle Cell - and the reason why it is so prevalent in African populations in particular - is that it protects the affected person from malaria.

Answer 2

Sickle-cell disease is a general term for a group of genetic disorders caused by sickle hemoglobin (Hgb S or Hb S). In many forms of the disease, the red blood cells change shape, usually looking much like that of a banana, upon deoxygenation because of polymerization of the abnormal sickle hemoglobin. This process damages the red blood cell membrane, and can cause the cells to become stuck in blood vessels. This deprives the downstream tissues of oxygen and causes ischemia and infarction. The disease is chronic and lifelong. Individuals are most often well, but their lives are punctuated by periodic painful attacks. In addition to periodic pain, there may be damage of internal organs, such as stroke. Lifespan is often shortened with sufferers living to an average of 40 years. Sickle-cell disease occurs more commonly in people (or their descendants) from parts of the world, such as sub-Saharan Africa, where malaria is or was common. Sickle-cell disease can occur in any individual of any color or ethnicity, however.

Answer 3

Sickle cell is when blood cells are shaped somewhat like a crescent, and sometimes they can't travel through the blood vessels smoothly and get caught. I'm not sure exactly what is caused other than the typical complications caused by a blood blockage, but check out this page for some detailed info.

http://www.webmd.com/hw/anemia/hw254176.asp

Answer 4

A sickle cell is a red blood cell that is saucer or disc shaped rather than round like normal blood cells. It is the result of a condition called sickle cell anaemia that can be very painful as the cells stick together and can block blood vessels. It is an inherited condition.

Answer 5

there are several types of sickle cell disease: Sickle Cell Anemia (SS), Sickle-Hemoglobin C Disease (SC), Sickle Beta-Plus Thalassemia and Sickle Beta-Zero Thalassemia. its actually not only found in black people but people from all over the world. sickle cells are red blood cells which can change from a round shape to a sickle shape (a kinda crescent shape). sickle haemoglobin is a different protein to normal haemoglobin(known as haemoglobin A). its known as haemoglobin S and can gel up and crystallise which causes the cell membrane to change shape if oxygen is absent (normal haemoglobin is fluid and isnt rigid even if theres no oxygen present). sickle cells are destroyed rapidly in the body of people with the disease causing anemia, jaundice and the formation of gallstones.the sickle cells also block the flow of blood through vessels resulting in lung tissue damage (acute chest syndrome), pain episodes (arms, legs, chest and abdomen), stroke and priapism (painful prolonged erection). it also causes damage to most organs including the spleen, kidneys and liver. damage to the spleen also makes sickle cell disease patients, especially young children, vunerable to certain bacterial infections.

Answer 6

sickle cell if just what its named. Its when the red blood cells are sickle shaped instead of oval shaped

Answer 7

it depends on what form of it you have, this is a fantastic website, . my neice has a sickle cell trait but not full blown sickle cell and it helpted me and her mum a lot its very informative

http://www.sicklecellsociety.org/index.htm

Answer 8

Form of anemia that only gets black people. I think.

Answer 9

look it up on the web to get a thorough definition,.

Answer 10

as above