Which of the Following Statements is True

Question

Which of the following statements is true?
A) Individuals who contract malaria are more likely to also develop sickle-cell anemia.
B) The sickle-cell allele is the result of a large deletion in the gene for hemoglobin.
C) The distribution of the sickle-cell allele is the same throughout the world.
D) Sickle-cell anemia is a dominantly inherited genetic disease.
E) Carriers of the sickle-cell allele are more resistant to malaria than non-carriers.

Accepted Answer

Carriers of the sickle-cell allele are more resistant to malaria than non-carriers. This is because the sickle-cell allele causes changes in the shape of red blood cells, which makes it difficult for the malaria parasite to invade and reproduce inside them. As a result, individuals who carry one copy of the sickle-cell allele have some protection against malaria and are less likely to contract the disease. However, individuals who inherit two copies of the sickle-cell allele develop sickle-cell anemia, which can be a life-threatening condition.