How is sickle cell anemia transferred?
Sickle cell anemia cannot be passed on from one person to the other. It is not contagious. It can be only passed on from parents to children by birth.
Last updated on 19 May 2023
Sickle cell anemia is a genetic disorder caused by a mutation in both copies of a person's HBB gene. This gene encodes a component of hemoglobin, the oxygen carrying protein in red blood cells. The mutation causes hemoglobin molecules to stick together, creating sickle-shaped red blood cells
Yes, children with sickle cell can swim but in temperrature controlled pools only. They should avoid normal pools as moving from hot to cold water may cause pain crisis and blockages which is harmful for people with sickle cell anemia.
People who have sickle cell anemia inherit two faulty hemoglobin genes, called hemoglobin S, one from each parent. A person has sickle cell trait when the hemoglobin S gene is inherited from only one parent and a normal hemoglobin gene hemoglobin A, is inherited from the other.
Sickle cell anemia is a disease where red blood cells become thin and elongated. If a person has one copy of the sickle cell allele, half of their red blood cells will be misshapen. In this way, the allele is codominant, since both normal and sickled shapes are seen in the blood.
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