Sickle Cell trivia

Sickle Cell Mini Quiz

Test your knowledge with these top questions!

Question 1

The genetic mutation in sickle cell disease causes red blood cells to form what unusual shape?

Normal red blood cells are flexible discs, but mutated hemoglobin forms rigid strands that stretch the cells into a crescent or sickle shape.

Question 2

Carrying a single copy of the sickle cell gene protects people against what infectious disease?

The malaria parasite struggles to reproduce in these altered blood cells, providing a survival advantage that keeps the gene prevalent in parts of Africa.

Question 3

Sickle cell disease alters hemoglobin, a blood protein responsible for carrying what element?

Hemoglobin contains iron, which binds to oxygen in the lungs. In sickle cell disease, this protein clumps together when oxygen levels drop, damaging the cell.

Question 4

Misshapen red blood cells in sickle cell disease cause intense pain by doing what inside the body?

These rigid, sticky cells get trapped in small capillaries, starving nearby tissues of oxygen and triggering severe episodes known as vaso-occlusive crises.