Target Exam

CUET

Subject

Biology

Chapter

Principles of Inheritance and Variation

Question:

The sickle cell anaemia is a

Options:

Sex linked recessive disease

Autosomal recessive disease

Sex linked dominant disease

Autosomal dominant disease

Correct Answer:

Autosomal recessive disease

Explanation:

The correct answer is Option (2) → Autosomal recessive disease

Sickle-cell anaemia: This is an autosome-linked recessive trait that can be transmitted from parents to the offspring when both the partners are carrier for the gene (or heterozygous). The disease is controlled by a single pair of allele, HbA and HbS. Out of the three possible genotypes, only homozygous individuals for HbS (HbSHbS) show the diseased phenotype. Heterozygous (HbAHbS) individuals appear apparently unaffected but they are carrier of the disease as there is 50 per cent probability of transmission of the mutant gene to the progeny, thus exhibiting sickle-cell trait .

The defect is caused by the substitution of Glutamic acid (Glu) by Valine (Val) at the sixth position of the beta globin chain of the haemoglobin molecule.

The substitution of amino acid in the globin protein results due to the single base substitution at the sixth codon of the beta-globin gene from GAG to GUG. The mutant haemoglobin molecule undergoes polymerisation under low oxygen tension causing the change in the shape of the RBC from a biconcave disc to an elongated sickle-like structure.