The round and concave shape of red blood cells make them uniquely suited for their job in carrying oxygen around our body. — Filepic
The additional iron from the unnecessary supplements will instead be deposited in our organs, which might eventually lead to organ failure.Understanding the structure of our red blood cells and its function will help shed some light on this condition. Haemoglobinopathies are a group of inherited blood disorders that affect the ability of red blood cells to transport oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body.
This happens when there is a gene defect or mutation known as a single nucleotide polymorphism in the beta-globin gene. This causes a tendency for them to get stuck and clog blood vessels, especially the small capillaries.Thalassaemia is a group of inherited autosomal recessive blood disorders, i.e. you must receive a copy of the relevant recessive gene from each of your parents in order to develop the disorder.Healthy people have all their alpha- and beta-globin genes working hard to produce the required alpha- and beta-globin chains throughout their lives.
Screening programmes are useful to identify and counsel thalassaemia carriers about the chances, consequences and effects of passing the defective genes to their children. Iron depletion is a condition where there is a reduction in the amount of iron stored, but the body’s functions can still be maintained with adequate iron supply .However, iron deficiency erythropoiesis is a condition where there is a lack of both iron supply and iron reserves , or the presence of faulty iron transport proteins .Iron deficiency erythropoiesis can progress into iron deficiency anaemia if left untreated.Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional disorders.