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Spherocytosis And Spleen

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“Hereditary Spherocytosis is a condition that is passed down from parent to child and it affects the red blood cells and the spleen” (Genetics Home Reference). The job of the spleen in a healthy human body is to clean the blood of bacteria. Spherocytosis causes the red blood cells to change shape, therefore making it difficult to move through the spleen (Wint). “When a person has HS, the red blood cells have a fragile membrane. At first, the red blood cells have a normal shape. However over time little pieces of their membranes are removed when the cells pass through the spleen. The shape becomes rounder like a sphere” (Seattle Children's hospital research foundation).

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