Genetic and Developmental Diseases and Disorders

Sickle cell anemia is a genetic disease of the blood. It is caused by a defect in one gene of a person. Genes are the elements in cells that carry the information that determines traits, such as hair or eye color. In sickle cell anemia, a defect in the gene controls how hemoglobin is made. This defect can be passed from parents to their children. Students explore the history of sickle cell anemia, the pioneering doctors who studied its cause, and early treatments. They also investigate hemoglobin S, who gets sickle cell, and how the gene mutation is inherited. They learn about the different types of sickle cell disease and treatments, including blood transfusions and bone marrow transplants, and some of the promising new research in medicines and gene therapy.