Foreword / Purnell W. Choppin -- Introduction / Maya Pines -- Wanted: the mother of all blood cells / Maya Pines -- The danger of AIDS -- When blood cells grow out of control -- Turning back the biological clock to cure sickle cell disease / Maya Pines -- Testing for sickle cell genes -- The birth and busy life of a red blood cell--a fold-out guide -- Too much bleeding--the perils of hemophilia / David Noonan -- How hemophilia is inherited -- Seven years in wheelchairs and braces, versus one day on crutches -- Our number-one killer: blood clots / Shawna Vogel -- The ultimate therapy for blood disorders: new genes / Harold H. Schmeck, Jr.