Gregor Mendel's Research And Sickle Cell Disease

Gregor Mendel formed the basis for understanding genetic inheritance. He created guidelines for inheritance, known today as the Laws of Inheritance. Mendel discovered that each parent passes one trait to their offspring. He also discovered that traits pass down through families in different patterns. Sickle cell, which is an inherited disease, is mainly found in those of African descent. Mendel’s research ultimately helped lead to the discovery and understanding of the HBS allele, the connection of malaria to sickle cell now and in future generations, and the new technology that helps diagnose and treat sickle cell. In 1910, a black man named Walter Clement Noel, went to Dr. James B. Herrick, complaining of episodes of pain and symptoms of
It can take as long as 15 days for symptoms of malaria to show, after one is infected. Some symptoms of the disease include vomiting, headache, chills, and fever. (Infectious Disease Malaria, 2015). Malaria has been described in writings dating as far back as the year 2700 B.C. Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran was the first to discover the parasites in the blood of patients who was infected with malaria. In 1886 an Italian neurophysiologist, Camillo Golgi discovered that, there are two forms of malaria. One form included having a fever every other day, while the other involved having a fever every three days. For a couple hundred years it wasn't clear how malaria was transmitted. But In the late 1800’s Ronald Ross discovered that malaria was transmitted from infected patients to mosquitoes, who transmitted to other people, causing them to become infected with the disease. (The History of Malaria, an Ancient Disease, 2016). Sickle cell anemia and malaria seem to have a connection. Individuals with sickle cell can not catch malaria. Those with the sickle cell trait have a kind of resistance to the disease. It is believed this is because malaria affects red blood cells which are mutated in individuals with sickle cell, causing the individual to reject the malaria parasite and making it harder for those with the sickle cell trait to contract the disease. It was determined that the sickle cell trait
Adults and children can still be tested. Blood samples are taken and tested for hemoglobin S. If the test comes back positive that means, one could have the disease itself or just be a carrier. Further tests are conducted to determine this. It is also suggested that if Sickle cell is known to run in both families, both parents should be tested to determine the percentage of their child being born with sickle cell.(Mayo Clinic Staff, 2014).Sickle cell can be cured in some cases through bone marrow transplant or stem cell transplant. Other treatments for the disease are more targeted towards getting rid of pain or preventing it, preventing infections, organ damage,strokes, and treat anemia.Some treatments include medications and blood transfusions (Hemoglobinopathy and sickle cell program, 2016). Other treatments include over the counter medicine and heating pads for mild pain.
Mendel’s research ultimately helped lead to the discovery and understanding of the HBS allele, the connection of malaria to sickle cell now and in future generations, and the new technology that helps diagnose and treat sickle cell. Due to Mendel’s discovery in inheritance we are able to better understand how sickle cell is