Sickle Cell Anemia

It was during the hot, humid days of August that Irving Sherman, fresh out of medical school, arrived in Boston. It seemed almost unbelievable that he owed his being in Boston to the short letter he had written last October. But here he was, continuing the research he had begun at Johns Hopkins Medical School. The major difference was that now he would be working with one of the premiere experts on different forms of anemia, Dr. William Castle.

But he had more mundane matters on his mind. Today he was starting a new graduate student in the lab. As he crossed the Charles River on his way to the lab, located at Massachusetts General Hospital, he pondered the best way of bringing the newcomer up to speed.

Upon entering the lab he was pleased to see that the new graduate student, John Brockley, had already arrived and was talking to Dr. Castle.

"Ah, Irving, you're just in time. This is John Brockley. I'm sure you're both anxious to get started, so I'll leave you two to get acquainted."

"So, John, did Bill tell you what project you will be working on here?"

"He mentioned that I would be testing out some different treatments for sickle cell anemia."

"Do you know much about sickle cell anemia?"

"Just what I learned in my biology classes. I know that it is a disease seen in individuals from African descent and was named for the change in the shape of the red blood cells, but that's about all."

"Well, I think the best thing for you to do is to familiarize yourself with the normal functioning of red blood cells and sickled cells. Then we can have you start reviewing some of the previous experiments that have already been done. Here's a short list of some pertinent questions you should be able to answer."

Questions

1. Red blood cells found in the plasma of mammals do not contain a nucleus. List all the possible benefits and limitations imposed on these cells by not having a nucleus.

2. Predict how the sickling of red blood cells could impair their functioning.

3. Predict how the average life span of a cell located in the brain differs from the average life span of a red blood cell. Provide a basis, based on cellular features, for your prediction.

4. It has been observed (using an electron microscope) that when the red blood cells are sickled there are little spikes that puncture the plasma membrane. Predict how this will affect the functioning of sickled cells and their life span.

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