Malaria Treatment FAQ:
What is the connection between sickle-cell anemia and malaria?
What is the connection between sickle-cell anemia and malaria?
a. Both are X-linked.
b. Both are autosomal recessive.
c. Both are dominant.
d. Heterozygotes for malaria have some resistance to sickle-cell anemia.
e. Heterozygotes for sickle-cell anemia have some resistance to malaria
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
The answer is E. because being a heterozygote means you are just a carrier of the trait…and this gives rise to a resistance to malaria
This is a classic genetics question. Googling: sickle cell malaria =>
e. Heterozygotes have some resistance to malaria
e. Heterozygotes for sickle-cell anemia have some resistance to malaria
those with the sickle cell trait are more likely to survive to reproduce than either people with normal hemoglobin or those with full blown sickle cell anemia. A situation such as this, where natural selection favors heterozygotes over both homozygotes, is known as a balanced polymorphism.