Sickle cell disease

Definition

Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder that results in the misshaping of red blood cells into a sickle or crescent shape, leading to various complications such as blockage of blood flow and decreased oxygen delivery to tissues. This abnormality arises from a mutation in the gene that instructs the production of hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in red blood cells.

Related terms

Hemoglobin: A protein in red blood cells responsible for carrying oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body and returning carbon dioxide from the body's tissues back to the lungs.

Anemia: A condition characterized by a deficiency in the number or quality of red blood cells in the body, leading to reduced oxygen flow to the body's tissues.

Erythrocytes: Another name for red blood cells, which are responsible for carrying oxygen and carbon dioxide throughout the body