Question

Closer to home, Michelle had a brother, Charles, who died of sickle-cell anemia. She is concerned about the chance of the condition appearing in her children. When blood samples were taken and placed under low-oxygen conditions, some of her red blood cells sickled. Those of her husband James, however, remained normal when tested. Show your work and list the genotypes of all those mentioned in the problem.

Answer 1

Answer:

Charles (HbS.HbS), Michelle (HbS.Hbs), and James (Hbs.Hbs)

Explanation:

The sickle-cell anemia is inherited as a incompletely dominant trait. This abnormal gene occurs in the somatic cell. The homozygote of sickle-cell anemia is usually dead before adulthood. The heterozygote might live longer with the present of illness in low levels.  

Assume that alleles HbS is sickle cell, Hbs is normal. Then:

• Charles (HbS.HbS), Michelle (HbS.Hbs) and James (Hbs.Hbs).