Sickle Cell Disease

Sicle Cell Anemia

Sickle Cell Anemia is an inherited blood disorder. It results in the abnormal shaping of red blood cells in the body. The red blood cells roll into a conic or 'sickle' shape. This makes it difficult for red blood cells, and therefore, nutrients to travel through smaller blood vessles. When this happens the deprived tissue suffers damage and starts to die. This is the primary compication of sickle cell.

Going in Depth

The main substance of a red blood cell is called Hemoglobin. There is a normal type of Hemoglobin (Hemoglobin A)that makes up the typical red blood cell. Normal cells are round, squishy, and carry oxygen to parts of the body. Sickle cell disease infected cells, however, have Hemoglobin C or S. These are both abnormal types of hemoglobin that are a cause for the abnormal shape and properties of the cell.

Inheriting Sickle Cell

The gene for Sickle Cell is inherited from parents in about the same ways as any other trait. It all depends on whether or not the parents of the child have the trait to begin with. Hemoglobin genes, where the disease originates from, comes in two sets (one from each parent). Statistics on inheriting the disease are as follows:

1. If one parent has Sickle Cell Anemia and the other is Normal, all of the children will have sickle cell trait.
2. If one parent has Sickle Cell Anemia and the other has Sickle Cell Trait, there is a 50% chance (or 1 out of 2) of having a baby with either sickle cell disease or sickle cell trait with each pregnancy.
3. When both parents have Sickle Cell Trait, they have a 25% chance (1 of 4) of having a baby with sickle cell disease with each pregnancy. (as seen above)

Testing

A simple blood test can confirm whether or not you are a carrier of the trait. A special procedure called Hemoglobin Electrophoresis can determine if you have the distinct hemoglobin gene for Sickle Cell to occur. When you pass electric charges though hemoglobin, certain types will move differently and in different direction/distances. By measuring how far or which way hemoglobin of your blood moves we can see which type of Hemoglobin you have.

Treatment

Because Sickle Cell disease affects the kidneys, liver, and other organs associated with the purifying of the blood, sickle cell patients take many antibiotics, and get vaccinations against bacteria which could spread rapidly. Blood transfusions are also another means of sickle cell patients help fight the disease. They reduce recurrent pain and cut the risk of stroke in sickle cell patients, but ontant blood transfusions, however, can make blood-iron content reach toxic levels.

Organizations

The SCDAA or Sickle Cell Disease Association of America is a prominent organization that specializes in the aid of Sickle Cell research and treatment. You can visit their website at http://www.sicklecelldisease.org/index.phtml.

Quiz
1. What are the chances of someone having sickle cell if one parent has sickle cell anemia and the other has the sickle cell trait?
2. What is the name of the procedure to tell if you have the hemoglobin for Sickle Cell?
3. What happens during this procedure?
4. How are a sickle cell infected cell and a normal cell different?
5.What is the name of the organization that deals with Sickle Cell disease?

Bibliograhy

Sickle Cell Disease Association of America -- SCDAA Home. Web. 23 Mar. 2010. http://www.sicklecelldisease.org/.

How it works!!!

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfrbwrx3_53hpx3qr29

Recycle!!!

1. As a resident of Fayetteville, I can use the big blue bin that the city gov't has given me so that I can recycle. If I were outside of fayetteville, I'd have to go to a recycling center.

2. Cliffdale Container Site is the nearest recylcing plant near my home. I can use this to carefully dispose of garbage and recyle.

3. Recycling is definately good for the environment and helps the health of the planet, we can also conserve energy which will be better on your energy bill.

4. Recyled Plastic can be made into bottles, shower stalls, recycling bins, paint brushes, drain pipes, plastic lumber, and flower pots. It can also be made into scouring pads and industrial strapping.

5. Recycling glass has a benefit of saving fuel. For every ton of glass recycles 9 gallons of fuel are saved.

6. Recycled metal can be made into many things once it is melted down. Automobile parts, siding, and appliances can be made from recycled metals.

Energy Present

3-2-1 on other Earth Day Presentation.

I did my 321 blog on Daniela's Group Project on water conservation.

3 things I found interesting is that glaciers are a form of water, water affects the weather on a global level, and water vapor accounts for 90% of ozone gasses.

2 things I learned from the project was that water can be as destructive as it is helpful. Floods, and we have to have it at exactly the right amount so it can be helful to us and our surroundings.

1 question I have is: What would happen if the ice caps melted completely?

Earth Day Presentation

5 possible choices!

Blackholes!-these are among the most destrucive powers in the known universe. They consist of extrememly compressed matter. Once you come past a point called the 'event horizon' you are gone! You become immeadiately sucked into a space the size of a bottlecap. This is one my most interesting ideas.

The search is on!-Aliens has always been a pretty controversal topic. Most people dought their excistence, but many are also convinced that there is some planet out there that harvest life on their sufaces. Many different tools and technologies are put into this search and this is definately something I'd like to take a good look at.

The Fastest way to Travel!-Wormholes are a new theory of how an interdimensional. Theoretically if you were to travel through one it would take you to an alternate area, within an alternate universe, within an alternate time, and etc. Scientists are still trying to prove their excistence, and in time, how to use them for human.

The Big BANG!- This is the theory of how scientists believe the universe came into excistence. In the beggining, we believed that everything was compressed into nothing bigger than the size of a golf ball...and then...BANG!! Everything scattered in all directions! Eventually, everything came into excistence the way it is now. Whoa!

Pluto-The recently demoted Pluto is now what we all call a 'dwarf planet'. But how is good old Pluto doing lately? Ever since its new placement, not much attention has been payed to it. Xena, Pluto's counterpart in the same vicinity is also under debate recently. I'd like to know a bit more about Pluto's status.