sickle cell

sickle cell definition - medical

sickle cell

noun
An abnormal, crescent-shaped red blood cell that results from a single change in the amino acid sequence of the cell's hemoglobin, which causes the cell to contort, especially under low-oxygen conditions. Also called drepanocyte, meniscocyte.

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sickle cell

Top: normal red blood cells

Bottom: sickle-shaped red blood cells

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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