Sickle cell anemia primarily affects people of African, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Indian ancestry (Learn Genetics, 2010; NHLBI, n.d.; Vorvick et al., 2010). Sickle cell anemia occurs when a person inherits two sickle cell genes, one from each parent, that cause red blood cells to change and become crescent-shaped. The underlying problem involves hemoglobin, a component of red blood cells. Hemoglobin is a protein molecule found in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues and returns carbon dioxide from the tissues to the lungs (Nabili, 2008, para. 1). In sickle cell disease, hemoglobin is defective. As a result, the cells become sickle-shaped and can no longer travel through blood vessels as easily. Sickle cell anemia is a disease that has one main cause but a variety of symptoms and treatments. Like most diseases, sickle cell anemia has a main cause. For sickle cell anemia to occur, a sickle cell gene must be inherited from both the mother and father, so that the child has two sickle cell genes (Shiel, 2006, paragraph 3). The sickle cell gene causes the body to produce abnormal hemoglobin. As mentioned above, hemoglobin is a protein molecule found in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues and returns carbon dioxide from the tissues to the lungs (Nabili, 2008, para. 1) . A person with normal red blood cells will have hemoglobin A, but a person with sickle cell disease will have hemoglobin S (Sickle cell Disease Association of America, Inc., 2005, paragraph 3). Normal red blood cells are usually round and soft and move easily through small vessels; However, sickle cells are abnormally shaped and rigid, making them difficult to travel through small vessels. Sickle cells can block vessels, depriving tissues of oxygen. As noted in two articles, sickle cells have a shorter lifespan than normal red blood cells. Normal red blood cells can live for 120 days, while sickle cell red blood cells only last 10 to 20 days, leading to anemia. (Learn Genetics, 2010 & Nabili, 2008) Sickle cell anemia not only has one main cause, but also has a variety of symptoms. Sickle cell anemia has various symptoms that can vary depending on each individual. Any symptoms a person may experience are essentially a direct result of the abnormal shape of the blood cells. These cells deprive the tissues of oxygen and, over time, the lack of oxygen in the tissues damages the organs and leads to pain...