Sickle Cell Anemia: The Causes and Is There a Cure?
Kendrix J. Evans
Clarke County
Abstract
The purpose of doing this experiment was to find the causes of sickle cell anemia,
and see if there was a cure. To do so, the Internet, several biological publishings, and
VRML were used. To boost the information of the project, an animation was configured.
The animation explains the harmful effects that a sickle cell has on the body. In its
finished condition the animation shows the "sickling" process, and how the cells block
the capillaries. The disease itself is hereditary, and it caused by a mutation of the
hemoglobin. This mutation causes sporadic interruptions in the circulation of the blood.
Sickle cell anemia affects many organs of the body, such as: the spleen, the liver, the
kidneys, the skin, bones, the penis, the heart, the lungs, and the brain. After the duration
of the project, it was found, that no cure exists, and that the afflicted have certain
medications to keep the afflicted "comfortable." In the future, this project could help find
a cure, or this project will allow the future readers to become aware of, and to
understand, sickle cell anemia.