 In sickle cell disease or sickle cell anemia, the red blood cells are not normal. They are typically red blood cells are round and they are very pliable and they can squeeze through small capitals very easily and they also have this beautiful hemoglobin molecule attached that allows for the iron to attach and the oxygen to be carried. In sickle cell disease these red blood cells have a different shape. They are not pliable and round as they usually are. They are sickle shaped so more of a half moon type of shape. They're also stiffer and they're longer so they have a harder time getting through these blood vessels and specifically these small capillaries. And then when a few of these sickle cells clump together in small capillaries it can form a thrombus. And then the thrombus's blood clot prevents the blood from flowing to whatever distal part that blood vessel is feeding and therefore the patient will have symptoms. So sickle cell crisis or anemia can be a really really significant because these micro thrombi can cause the blood to be prevented from flowing to a different to a certain body part and then the patient can end up with an MI, with a PE, with a cerebral vascular accident, with any kind of decreased blood flow to the extremity and eventually this tissue hypoxia will need to lacrosis. Please follow me on YouTube and check out the full video on sickle cell anemia.