Thalassemia Major is considered to be a recessive lethal disease that typically causes death in childhood. It is a fatal

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Thalassemia Major Is Considered To Be A Recessive Lethal Disease That Typically Causes Death In Childhood It Is A Fatal 1 (66.87 KiB) Viewed 371 times

Thalassemia Major is considered to be a recessive lethal disease that typically causes death in childhood. It is a fatal anemia marked by hypochromia of red blood cells, and is theorized to protect against malaria in heterozygous individuals. 3. The frequency of Thalassemia major in Cyprus before malaria eradication programs began killing mosquitoes after WWII was about 0.9% (9/10 of 1 percent) born with the disease (homozygous). These frequencies were about the same as those recorded yearly since 1900. a) Estimate the frequency of the thalassemia major allele in the Cyprus population in 1946. b) Estimate the fitness of the normal allele (non-thalassemia) in 1946 assuming a population that is equilibrium. c) Human generation length is about 30 years, which is not how long humans live. Assuming that malaria was virtually eliminated from Cyprus shortly after WWII using DDT and anti-malaria drugs, estimate the frequency of the thalassemia major allele in 2006 which is 2 generations later. (Hint: it is now a simple recessive lethal. There is now no heterozygous benefit.) -