Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that affects red blood cells. Parents inherit this disease when both of them are carries of the sickle cell trait and both of them pass the affected gene to their kid. When this happens it causes the red blood cells to contain an abnormal type of hemoglobin making the blood cells to form a “C” shaped cell, which make the cell difficulty to pass through the red blood vessels. When this occurs the cells stuck together forming solid structures that stuck in the blood vessels. The cells eventually die and this causes the lack of enough blood cells, which leads to pain, organ damage and lack of oxygen (SCDAA, 2005).
Thanks to different sciences such as computer science, ethics, math and geography the study of this disease has become easier. First we have the computer science because it helps us with the new technologies people with this disease needs, like examination of the blood samples. Next is ethics, a very important one because we need to know when we have crossed the line in certain aspects. We need to know when it is prudent to stop for the good of others. Math is everywhere and in this case we need math because of the percentage of probability that the parents will pass the gene to their children. Last but not least we have geography, which is one of the most important braches of biology we have for these studies. Why? Because it’s important to know the origin of the person that is dealing with the disease. For example, thanks to some studies we know that 1 in 10 people of African or Caribbean descent have the sickle cell trait. Biochemistry, anatomy, genetics, homeopathy and hematology are some of the main branches that are also needed with this case. Anatomy because is the study of the body. Genetics because we can know who has the disease or trait or who will have it. And homeopathy and hematology because these are the studies of blood and blood diseases (Bartzat, 2010).
This disease not only affects the person who haves it. It all starts with a little cell that has a different type of hemoglobin. This affects the tissue and then the organs in the body. When one organ is affected your system is affected is affected equally. In this case the systems that are being affected are the circulatory system because of the lack of blood cells, the respiratory system because of the tiredness and breathlessness caused and finally the immune system because of the frequent spleen infections. If the systems are affected, the organism is affected as well. After the organism we have the population because it is a hereditary disease.
As mentioned before this illness affects various things in our body and system. Nucleic acids, which comprise the DNA and RNA, macromolecules that store and transmit the genetic information are affected. The disease occurs when a simple letter in the DNA changes. It also affects proteins because hemoglobin is a protein carried in the red blood
cell. It is the responsible of the oxygenation and deoxygenating. Hemoglobin has 4 level of structure:
· Primary: is made up of 4 polypeptides.
· Secondary: each protein chain is arranged into a set of alpha-helix structure
· Tertiary and quaternary: is a gathering of four globular protein subunits forming a tetrahedral arrangement (Tamarkin, 2006)
With the sickle cell gene the hemoglobin changes its primary structure because it changes the sequence of the amino acids. The consequence of this change is the creation of the sickle cell anemia in the person and the possibility of inherit it to your children.
Nowadays new treatments for the SCA have appeared. A bone marrow transplant can sometimes be used to cure sickle cell anemia. Bone marrow transplantation is usually only possible if the donation is provided by a brother or sister who does not have sickle cell anemia and has the same bone marrow type. Only 1 person in 10 with sickle cell anemia is able to find a suitable donor (NHS,2010). Another option is the genetic manipulation when you practice artificial insemination and here is when ethics comes. Here we have a dilemma because some say that when you “dispose” the eggs with the trait or disease you are in some way killing a baby and others think that is a way to prevent a baby to suffer. Everybody has its own opinion.
With the technology we have in our world these days, we can work together and help people realize the dangerousness of this disease and help prevent it. We have many options we just have to ask for a little help from the experts.
References
· 2005 Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc.
· Branches of Biology 2010 by Alegra Bartzat
· STCC Foundation Press written by Dawn A. Tamarkin, Ph.D. 2006
· NHS Choices (2010) Sickle cells disease.
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sickle-cell-anaemia/Pages/Introduction.aspx
