-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
hemoglobin S
noun
: an abnormal hemoglobin that occurs in the red blood cells in sickle cell anemia and sickle-cell trait
Examples of hemoglobin S in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
However, if one parent passes down the hemoglobin S gene and the other does not, the child will only carry the sickle cell trait.
—Maggie Aime, Msn, Health, 20 Sep. 2024
The nucleotide substitution in the HBB gene—producing what’s known as hemoglobin S, in contrast to normal hemoglobin A—is heritable.
—Maryn McKenna, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024
The result is hemoglobin S—a misshapen version that causes red blood cells to sickle.
—Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2022
But hemoglobin S congeals into taut strands, making the blood cells that carry it fragile and rigid, as though a balloon were filled with shards of ice.
—Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2022
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Word History
First Known Use
1954, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near hemoglobin S
Cite this Entry
“Hemoglobin S.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hemoglobin%20S. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Medical Definition
hemoglobin S
noun
: an abnormal hemoglobin occurring in the red blood cells in sickle cell anemia and sickle-cell trait and differing from hemoglobin A in having a valine residue substituted for the glutamic-acid residue in position 6 of two of the four polypeptide chains making up the hemoglobin molecule
More from Merriam-Webster on hemoglobin S
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hemoglobin S
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share