|
|
Article: What Is Sickle Cell Disease?
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- January 12, 1988
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
|
When you cut yourself, red blood flows out of your body. Have
you ever wondered what makes blood red?
Your blood is made of four things: plasma, platelets, white cells
and red cells. Plasma is a yellow-colored liquid that carries the
cells and also contains many important chemicals. Platelets are
cells that clump together and form clots to stop the bleeding when
you get a cut. White cells fight the many kinds of germs that get
into your body. Red cells carry oxygen, an invisible gas in the air
you breathe, to every part of your body.
Just one drop of your blood has a huge number of red cells in it,
around 5 to 6 million! Each of the round red cells contains a
chemical material called ...