BLOOD DISORDERS

🩸Anemia

• Iron-Deficiency Anemia (most common)
• Aplastic Anemia - bone marrow does not produce enough RBC
• Hemorrhagic anemia - due to extreme blood loss
• Pernicious anemia - B12 deficiency
• Sickle Cell Anemia (genetic)

🩸Leukemia

• Cancer of white blood cells
• Overproduction of immature white blood cells (leukocytes)
• They take the place of RBCs
• Symptoms include fatigue, weakness, weight loss, bleeding/bruising
• Treatable with bone marrow transplants, chemothemotherapy, radiation

🩸Mononucleosis (Epstein-Barr Virus)

• Sometimes called "mono" or "the kissing disease"
• EBV is very common, and many people have been exposed to the virus at some time in childhood.
• Symptoms include fever and fatigue (sometimes lasting months)

🩸Septicemia (Blood Poisoning)

• An infection enters the blood stream, can be deadly
• Treated with antibiotics

🩸Thrombocytopenia

• Low production of platelets (bone marrow)
• Enlarged spleen
• Causes excess bleeding or bruising

Genetic Disorders of the Blood

🩸Sickle Cell Anemia

• Genetic Disorder, Abnormally shaped blood cells
• Symptoms: fatigue, pain in joints, low oxygen
• Parents can be carriers (asymptomatic)
• Sickle Cell Anemia is codominant

AA = normal
Aa = sickle cell trait (few symptoms)
aa = sickle cell anemia

🩸Cooley's anemia (Beta -Thalassemia)

• Pale skin, abdominal swelling, weakness
• Enlargement of spleen
• Iron overload
• Red blood cells appear faded (hypochromia)
  
• Recessive disorder
• Treated with blood transfusions

🩸Hemophilia

• Condition where blood does not clot, also known as "bleeder's disease"
• Hemophilia is sex-linked, meaning it is carried on the X chromosome.
• Females can be normal, carriers, or have the disease
• Males can be normal or have the disease, but they cannot be carriers because they only have a single X chromosome.
• (Males are XY, females are XX)

This shows a cross between a female who is a carrier and a normal male.

Practice Problems: Genetics of Hemophilia