Flawed Hemoglobin: Sickle Cell Anemia
When the amount of oxygen in the red blood cells that contain "sickle" hemoglobin gets too low, the hemoglobin sticks together in long strands stretching the cell.

Sickle Cells in the Vessels
These stretched, or "sickled," cells are no longer flexible and jam up in small vessels plugging them. This causes pain and damage to the areas behind the plug that cannot receive oxygen and nutrients from the blood. Click on the image to call up an animation.

Diseases of the Red Cell (Index)

• Too Few Cells Made
• Too Little Hemoglobin
• "Flawed" Hemoglobin
• Fragile Cells
• Premature Cell Destruction