Definition for Thalassemia
From Biology Forums Dictionary
1) Thalassemia is a blood disorder passed down through families (inherited) in which the body makes an abnormal form of hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. The disorder results in excessive destruction of red blood cells, which leads to Anemia.
2) A genetic disorder in which the body is unable to make functioning hemoglobin, resulting in anemia.
3) Thalassemia is caused by the substantial decreased production of one of the subunits of hemoglobin. In α-thalassemia, the decreased production of the α chain results in the formation of tetramers of only the β chain. This β4 binds oxygen more tightly than HbA and does not exhibit cooperative binding. In β-thalassemia, the α chains form insoluble aggregates in the immature red blood cells.