Question

A person with sickle cell anaemia is:
a. More prone to malaria b. Less prone to malaria
c. More prone to typhoid
d. Less prone to typhoid

Answer 1

correct answer is b. less prone to malaria

Explanation:

• In sickle cell anemia there is a single nucleotide mutation in beta-globin gene that causes change of single amino acid( glutamic acid to valine). under  condition of O2 deficiency valine develops hydrophobic bonds with adjacent strands forming a helical polymer. This changes the shape of erythrocyte into sickle shape and reduce its size.
• Malaria parasite Plasmodium grow within RBC at an important stage in their life cycle.
• As the size of RBC gets reduced, Plasmodium  sp.  are no longer able to grow within RBC.
• so the person with sickle cell anemia are less prone or more resistant to malaria.

Answer 2

Answer:

less prone to malaria

Explanation:

Sickle cell trait gives partial protection against lethal Plasmodium falciparum malaria.