The red color is from millions of hemoglobin molecules in each blood cell. Hemoglobin picks up oxygen in the lungs and releases it to all parts of the body. The hemoglobin in sickle cells releases too much oxygen and, if oxygen is reduced enough, the cells will sickle, becoming rigid and distorted. Sickled cells are fragile and tend to break apart, clogging blood vessels and disrupting the flow of supply of oxygen to tissues and organs, and muscles. As a result of this lack of oxygen, the affected person experiences pain, swelling, and fatigue.
Sickled cells become trapped and are destroyed in the liver and spleen.
Since the sickled red blood cell lives on average 20 days instead of the normal 120-day life span of a healthy red blood cell, the body is unable to produce new red blood cells at a pace that is consistent with the rapid destruction process of the sickle shaped cells. This decreases the number of red blood cells and the amount of hemoglobin in the body, leading to anemia. A hereditary disease Sickle cell disease is inherited and is classified by genetic type. In sickle cell anemia, a child inherits two sickle cell genes. In sickle cell trait, a child inherits one sickle cell gene and one normal hemoglobin gene.