Sickle cell anaemia – Mnemonic

Scanning electron micrograph showing sickle cells in the midst of normal RBC’s

• Sickle cell anaemia is a condition in which the red blood cells assume an abnormal rigid sickle shape
• There is decrease in flexibility of the red cells, which impair their ability to flow freely through blood capillaries
• It can result in conditions like vaso occlusive crisis, splenic sequestration crisis, aplastic crisis, haemolytic crisis
• It is an autosomal recessive condition

Sickle cell anaemia – Mnemonic

• Sickle cell anaemia occurs due to the replacement of hydrophilic amino acid glutamic acid with hydrophobic amino acid valine at the 6th position of the beta globin chain of haemoglobin
• The inclusion of the hydrophobic ( non polar ) amino acid promotes non covalent polymerisation of haemoglobin resulting in distortion of the RBC’s into a sickle shape
• So, how to remember the amino acids involved?
• Just remember this memory key – The Villain replaced the Good guy
• The Villain is Valine
• The Good guy is Glutamic acid
• So you will in turn remember that Valine replaces Glutamic acid