Isifo seanemia lolona hlobo luxhaphakileyo lwe isifo sokugula kweseli; Sisifo esibi apho umzimba uvelisa iiseli ezibomvu ezimile okwe rhengqa, Oko kukuthi, ziiseli ezibomvu ezimile okweqanda. Iiseli ezibomvu eziqhelekileyo zi-disc ezimile kwaye azijongeka njengeedonathi ezinemingxunya embindini.
Iiseli ezibomvu eziqhelekileyo Zihamba ngokulula kwimithambo yegazi kwaye ziyaziwa ziqulathe iproteni enesinyithi ebizwa ngokuba yihemoglobin. Le proteni inoxanduva lokuhambisa ioksijini ukusuka emiphungeni ukuya kuwo wonke umzimba. Kwindaba ye isele yerhengqa, ukuhamba kwegazi kwimithambo yegazi yeziphelo kunye namalungu kuvaliwe.
Este ukuvaleka kokuhamba kwegazi Inokubangela iintlungu kunye nokonakala komzimba, kwaye inokwandisa umngcipheko wosulelo. Kwi-sickle cell anemia, iiseli ezingaqhelekanga zihlala zifa emva kweentsuku ezili-10 ukuya kwezi-20. Umongo wethambo awunakukwenza iiseli ezibomvu zegazi ngokukhawuleza ngokwaneleyo ukubuyisela ezi seli zife.
I-Sickle cell anemia yaziwa ngokuba sisifo osizuze njengelifa ubomi bakho bonke, ke abantu abanesi sifo bazalwa benaso, bazuze njengelifa iirhengi ezimbini zehemoglobin kunye nomzali omnye. Ngenxa yoko, I-sickle cell anemia Akukho lunyango, nangona kunjalo ngonyango lwangoku, iimeko zokuphila zinokuphuculwa, kubandakanya ukufakelwa kweeseli zegazi kunye nomongo wethambo nako kunokunceda.