Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a genetic blood disorder that affects the red blood cells. It is an inherited condition, meaning it is passed down from parents to their children through their genes. SCD is characterized by the presence of abnormal hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body. This abnormal hemoglobin, called hemoglobin S (HbS), can cause the red blood cells to become misshapen and rigid, taking on a characteristic sickle or crescent shape.
