Sickle Cell
SCD also known as sickle cell disease affects the blood and cardiovascular system. There are six different types of SCD. The following discussion will include cause, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. The proper education on this disease will give patients and the public a better knowledge of the common unfamiliarity with SCD. The cardiovascular system consists of the heart, arteries, capillaries, veins, and blood. The organs in the cardiovascular system are a vital part of the human body that helps maintain homeostasis. The function of the cardiovascular system is to supply the body with O2, nutrients to the tissues of the body and the removal of waste (Shier, Butler, & Lewis, 2012, p.341, 342). The blood is a system that is incorporated in the cardiovascular system. Blood is a vital part of the cardiovascular system. The blood consists of RBCs, WBCs, plasma, and platelets. The blood contributes to every organ throughout the human body. The function of the blood is to transport O2, CO2, wastes, nutrients, hormones, lipids, and vitamins. The blood is also responsible for the protection of the body when there are invaders, or any kind of blood loss. Another function of the blood is to regulate the bodies’ temperature, fluid and pH balance (Shier, et al., 2012, p.319). The cardiovascular system has a main component to make the system work. The heart is essential for the functioning of the cardiovascular system. The basic function of the heart is to pump the blood throughout the body. There are two different circuits of blood flow, the pulmonary circuit and the systemic circuit. The pulmonary circuit within the heart pumps the deoxygenated blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs. In the lungs, the deoxygenated blood is enriched with O2, releases out the waste CO2 and returns to the left side of the heart. In systemic circuit, the heart pumps the O2 rich blood with the nutrients from the left side of the heart to the tissues of the body