Why Is Sickle Cell Anemia Classified As A Recessive Disorder

Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder wherein the patients’ red blood cells are irregularly shaped due to genetic abnormalities. Due to the eponymous sickle shape, the cells have trouble traveling through the body and are easily trapped damaged, causing pain, swelling, jaundice, and anemia/fatigue.

As sickle cells get trapped in the spleen, they can also damage it, reducing the immune system weakened; they can also get caught in the lungs, causing oxygen deprivation and damage to segments of the lungs. In the worst case, the sickle cells can catch in the brain and cause stroke.

Sickle cell is called a recessive disorder because a person with only one copy of the gene will not manifest symptoms of it because the normal gene from the other parent will overwrite it in the body, and is called a carrier.

Two copies of the faulty gene are needed to actually develop the disorder. Genetic disorders that “hide” behind normal genes and only manifest when there are two copies are considered recessive, while the normal genes are considered dominant.

Explanation " Doctor Nancy Lee "

References:
1. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Sickle Cell Disease. URL: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/sickle-cell-disease. Accessed January 16, 2018.


Why Is Sickle Cell Anemia Classified As A Recessive Disorder

Question: Why Is Sickle Cell Anemia Classified As A Recessive Disorder
Genes come in pairs. One gene in the pair is inherited from the mother, and the other gene comes from the father. A recessive disorder happens when two copies of the mutant gene are present. Sickle cell anemia is a recessive disorder caused by a mutation in the beta-globin gene. People with only one mutant gene of the pair do not develop sickle cell anemia.

Explanation " Doctor Laura Hoang "

References
1) Autosomal recessive. MedlinePlus. URL: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002052.htm. Accessed January 1, 2018.
2) Kalra VK, Zhang S, Malik P, Tahara SM. Placenta growth factor mediated gene regulation in sickle cell disease. Blood Rev. 2017 Aug 16. pii: S0268-960X(17)30072-3. doi: 10.1016/j.blre.2017.08.008. URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28823762. Accessed January 1, 2018.
3) Olowoyeye A, Okwundu CI. Gene therapy for sickle cell disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016 Nov 14;11:CD007652. URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27841932. Accessed January 1, 2018.

Question: Why Is Sickle Cell Anemia Classified As A Recessive Disorder

Sickle cell anemia is an autosomal recessive disorder. An individual has two copies of a gene—one from their mother and one from their father. The individual must carry two copies of the mutated gene in order to have sickle cell anemia. Sickle cell anemia is a genetic disease in which one’s red blood cells are abnormally shaped. Many of these red blood cells burst or can get stuck to the walls of vessels, causing a blockage.

Explanation " Doctor Maggie Szakacs "

References
1. Sickle cell disease. U.S. National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference. URL: https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/sickle-cell-disease#inheritance. Accessed June 19, 2018.

Generally, there are two types of disorders, progressive and recessive. When something is recessive, it is not a dominant gene. The reason why sickle cell anemia is classified as a recessive disorder is that it only affects some people, but it does not affect all those who share DNA. Hope this helps!