History of Sickle Cell Anemia

Sickle Cell Anemia was first discovered in 1910 by Dr. James B. Herrick. A patient, native from Grenada, went to his office because of symptoms of anemia. After further examination, the patient seem to have had sickle-shaped red blood cells. 

A few years later, more people have been seen with these sickle-shaped cells, and had appeared mainly in people from Africa. This can be linked to the unclean water in Africa. By around 1940, this sickle cell trait appeared to be a sex linked trait, as a mother could be a carrier, being heterozygous, and actually having the disease would be homozygous dominant.

It was later discovered by Dr. Linus Pauling, that hemoglobin, the red blood cell that transports oxygen, has a different chemical structure in a person with the sickle cell trait than a person without it. This is just a brief history of Sickle Cell Anemia. See more here.