Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - SHS 3
DISEASES AND DISORDERS
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DISEASES AND DISORDERS
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Subject: Biomedical Science
Class: SHS 3
Term: 1st Term
Week: 6
Grade code: 1.2.2.LI.3
Strand code: 2
Sub-strand code: 2
Content standard code: 1.2.2.CS.1
Indicator code: 1.2.2.LI.3
Theme: HUMAN BODY SYSTEMS
Subtheme: DISEASES AND DISORDERS
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Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a significant genetic health condition in Ghana and across West Africa. It is an inherited disorder of the red blood cells and is not contagious. Understanding the science behind SCD is crucial for personal health decisions, reducing stigmatisation, and promoting community health. This lesson will explore the genetic basis of SCD, its symptoms, how it is passed from parents to children, and its wider impact on individuals and families in our Ghanaian society. We will also discuss practical ways the disease can be managed and its transmission curtailed.
A. What is Sickle Cell Disease?
Sickle Cell Disease is a group of inherited red blood cell disorders. In a healthy person, red blood cells are round, soft, and flexible, like small, smooth discs (think of a Tom Brown biscuit). This shape allows them to move easily through even the smallest blood vessels to deliver oxygen throughout the body.
In a person with SCD, the red blood cells can become hard, sticky, and shaped like a crescent moon or a farmer's sickle ("*adare*"). Normal Red Blood Cell: Round, flexible. Lives for about 120 days. Sickled Red Blood Cell: Crescent-shaped, rigid. Dies quickly, in about 10-20 days.
This change in shape is caused by a problem with a protein inside the red blood cells called haemoglobin. Haemoglobin is the substance that carries oxygen. B. The Genetics of Sickle Cell Disease