Where does this come from, and can I check it?

One altered haemoglobin gene protects against the parasite but harms two copies. The figure is taken from World Health Organization, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a science fact?

Yes. It sits on the Science shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

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The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

Sickle cell trait resists malaria

One altered haemoglobin gene protects against the parasite but harms two copies A single base change swaps one amino acid in the beta chain of haemoglobin. People with two copies develop sickle cell disease, in which red cells distort and block small vessels. Those with one copy are usually healthy and are substantially less likely to die from malaria, which keeps the allele common in affected regions. It sits in Mondo's science collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

World Health Organization

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Mutations supply new genetic variationCopying errors and damage create the alleles that selection can act on Population bottlenecks cut genetic diversityA sharp fall in numbers leaves survivors with a narrow gene pool Humans and chimpanzees share most of their DNAThe two species match at close to 99 percent of comparable DNA positions Chloroplasts and mitochondria originated as engulfed bacteriaEndosymbiotic events turned ancient single-celled microbes into vital plant and animal organelles Darwin and Wallace found natural selectionBoth arrived at the same mechanism, and their joint paper appeared in 1858 Antibiotic resistance is evolution in actionSurviving bacteria pass on genes that let them withstand the drug

Tags: genetics, disease, evolution

Sickle cell trait resists malaria: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: One altered haemoglobin gene protects against the parasite but harms two copies. The figure is taken from World Health Organization, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a science fact?: Yes. It sits on the Science shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.