Anemia Essay

Survival of the Sickest Analysis In Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection, Darwin suggests that those organisms that possess certain characteristics that give them an advantage over other organisms, are to be more likely to survive and pass on their traits to other organisms of their species through reproduction. Thus, through evolution, all life on earth is bound to only get stronger and improve its chances of survival - or be…

Before we get into the specifics about this disease, let us look at the history of sickle cell disease. One type of sickle cell disease is sickle cell anemia. Anemia means a few abnormal amounts of red blood cells. The name sickle cell anemia is first coined in 1910 by U.S. physician James Bryan Herrick. In one of his severe anemia cases, he found abnormal shaped red blood cells. He described them as sickle-shaped cells. By 1949, U.S. physical chemist Linus Pauling displayed that hemoglobin in…

however the result is a varied generation from the one before it. B. Why is the incidence of sickle-cell anemia an excellent example of a "balanced polymorphism," in which two or more alleles are maintained by natural selection in a population? Balanced polymorphism is the term given to the phenomenon where two different versions of a gene are allowed to coexist in an environment. Sickle cell anemia is a great example of balanced polymorphism in action because when a host with a gene for…

Mildly affected infants can have little to no anemia and may show only hyperbilirubinemia because of the continuing hemolytic effect of the Rh antibodies that have crossed the placenta previously. Moderately affected infants can have a mixture of both anemia and hyperbilirubinemia/jaundice. In severe cases of fetal hyperbilirubinemia, kernicterus develops. Kernicterus is a neurological condition caused…

Anemia can be a sign of systemic illness. Because it is never normal, the cause for it should be sought when it is present in the patient. Is a common finding in a family practice office that is sometimes straightforward in nature, but perplexing at other times. There are numerous processes that can result in anemia. You can result from decreased production of red blood cells which is seen in nutrient deficiencies such as low B12 levels and iron levels, bone marrow disorders, suppression of…

disorders is sickle cell diseases with sickle cell anemia being the most dangerous (Addis, 2010). Sickle cell anemia is characterized into the group of sickle cell diseases. The phenotype number for sickle cell anemia is #603903 on the HBB gene/ locus (OMIM, 2014). Sickle cell anemia can also be known as HbS disease, hemoglobin S disease, and hemoglobin SS disease (NHLBI, 2012). Sickle cell anemia is identified by both its description and…

Sickle Cell Anemia: Sickle Cell Anemia (SCA) is the most common and severe form of sickle cell disease, and is caused by a genetic mutation that results in an abnormal formation of hemoglobin called hemoglobin S. SCA is an autosomal recessive disease, and the individual can inherit the hemoglobin S gene from both parents. Sometimes, an individual can inherit this gene from one parent and have a normal hemoglobin gene from other parents, and are called sickle cell trait. Individuals with sickle…

Have you ever wondered why you are more susceptible to a cold than a classmate who may be of a different race? It may be a result of natural selection as it impacts people living in certain countries, making them able to withstand weather or deadly diseases in their environment. However, all good things come at a cost. In Survival of the Sickest, Dr. Sharon Moalem explains that certain diseases that might affect people later in life have actually guided human evolution, enabling the species to…

Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is a classification of the most common form of sickle cell disease. This class of sickle cell disease is genetic and is caused by the homozygous mutation of the beta-hemoglobin gene (beta S allele) in red blood cells [2]. Individuals who are diagnosed with sickle cell anemia have deformed (sickle shaped) red blood cells that have a lower lifespan [3]. This causes irreversible tissue damage and causes a vaso-occlusive crisis, which is pain in the abdomen, bones and chest…

Malaria is a vector-borne infectious disease carried by Plasmodium parasites that can be deadly (Lee, 2018). Sickle cell anemia is a form of anemia where an abnormal hemoglobin changes the shape of the red blood cells. Whether or not you have sickle-cell depends on your genotype. Individuals who have the genotype AA (HbA) have "normal" blood and no mutations which can lead them to contracting malaria more easily because they don't have protection. People with the AS genotype, (HbA & HbS) have…