What Are the Causes of Sickle Cell Anemia?
Anemia is a blood disorder involving a decrease in the number of red blood cells or a reduction in blood hemoglobin levels below the normal quantity. Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein responsible for carrying oxygen from the lungs to the different parts of the body. If there is a decrease in the amount of hemoglobin, then the organs of the body will be impaired as a result of not getting enough oxygen.
The primary causes of sickle cell anemia (SCA), also known as sickle cell disease (SCD), are largely due to a genetic mutation in the body’s hemoglobin, specifically in chromosome 11. Other causes of sickle cell anemia involve genetic inheritance of the disease. Children of two individuals with SCA generally are born with the disease, while those with one parent suffering from SCA typically do not experience any notable symptoms. The causes of sickle cell anemia are also related to problems with the blood, such as dehydration, low oxygen levels, and increased acidity. Causes of sickle cell anemia can be attributed to a mutation in hemoglobin, the iron-rich compound that gives blood its red coloring. Under normal circumstances, red blood cells are disc-shaped and full as a result of the presence of glutamic acid. The mutation that causes SCA occurs in the beta-globin gene, which, in turn, causes the glutamic acid to be replaced with valine. The chemical change causes red blood cells to
