Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site cylixd.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!akgub!cylixd!charli From: charli@cylixd.UUCP (Charli Phillips) Newsgroups: net.bio Subject: Re: Re: race specific... Message-ID: <215@cylixd.UUCP> Date: Fri, 23-Aug-85 09:28:50 EDT Article-I.D.: cylixd.215 Posted: Fri Aug 23 09:28:50 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 25-Aug-85 06:20:40 EDT References: <191@tekig5.UUCP> <314@kitty.UUCP> <678@cybvax0.UUCP> <1858@aecom.UUCP> <192@husky.uucp> Reply-To: charli@cylixd.UUCP (Charli Phillips) Organization: RCA Cylix Communications , Memphis, TN Lines: 14 Summary: In article <192@husky.uucp> mj@husky.uucp (Mark A. Johnson) writes: > > Also, is sickle-cell anemia really a defense against malaria? > If so, how does it work? Isn't the cure worse than the disease? > Sickle-cell anemia (homozygous for the malformed blood cells) is NOT beneficial to anyone. Sickle-cell trait (heterozygous for the malformed blood cells), however, does provide some protection against malaria. Sickle-cell does not follow the dominant-recessive pattern of inheritance (like albinism or dwarfism.) Rather, the two alleles are both expressed in a heterozygous individual (like blood type). It is the heterozygous form that is beneficial.