Chapter 8, Problem 7TQ

Summary Introduction

Sickle-cell disease is a chronic inherited anemia and it is caused by a mutation in the hemoglobin protein coding gene. Hemoglobin carries oxygen and the gene coding for hemoglobin protein is located on the chromosome 11. It is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder, in which red blood cells (RBC) sickle, plugging small blood vessels. The normal hemoglobin allele (H) is dominant over the sickle cell allele (h). Therefore, the presence of two recessive alleles (hh) can cause sickle-cell disease, which can be transferred from the parent to offspring.