What Is Hemoglobin?
10. Sickle Cell Disease
Red blood cells are almost doughnut shape, but with a solid center and a depression on either side of the cell. This shape helps the cell to absorb oxygen. Sickle cell disease is a condition that affects the hemoglobin in the blood cell and this, in turn, affects the shape of the cell.
Advertisement
The condition causes the cells to take on a “sickle” shape. These cells don’t live for as long as normal cells do, and this results in too few cells in the blood overall. A lot of people with the condition will only experience very mild symptoms but the condition can be very serious for some people.
Advertisement
Advertisement
