Final answer:
c) Enhances sickling of red blood cells Dehydration and acidosis worsen sickle cell anemia by enhancing the sickling of red blood cells, which reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sickle cell anemia is a genetic disease in which red blood cells are sickle-shaped, reducing oxygen perfusion into the blood.
Dehydration and acidosis can worsen sickle cell anemia because they increase the concentration of carbon dioxide in the blood, which lowers the pH. This decrease in pH reduces the affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen, causing more oxygen to dissociate from the hemoglobin molecules. As a result, the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood is diminished, making the symptoms of sickle cell anemia more severe.
Therefore, the correct option is c) Enhances sickling of red blood cells.