The illustration above depicts a scenario where two carriers of the SCD trait have offspring. Gene inheritance is a matter of probability and may not follow the order shown.
Haemoglobin is the protein containing iron that facilitates the transportation of oxygen in red blood cells to your body’s tissues & organs, and is responsible for the red colouration of your blood. Production of haemoglobin is affected by sickle cell genes. Normal haemoglobin is HbA, but with the Sickle Cell genes the body manufactures abnormal haemoglobin called HbS. This is the reason why the red blood cells for those suffering from this disorder are sickle shaped and as to why the cells have a shorter lifespan than normal red blood cells.
Your haemoglobin genotype plays a crucial role in determining the genetic makeup of your offspring, specifically in relation to sickle cell disease. The combination of genes you & your significant other pass on can result in one of three possible outcomes:
• Inheriting the sickle cell trait (a carrier status) AS
• Developing sickle cell disease SS
• Neither inheriting the trait nor developing the disease AA
Note: Prices listed above as at February 2025