why does sickle cell anemia effect mostly african americans?

well because over the course of time in Africa, the malaria parasite plasmodium, was responsible for causeing malaria. In effect, their immune system developes S cells, which do not absorb oxygen as efficiently as the other cells. wen the malaria parasite gets into your body, it cannot live because it depends greatly on the victims oxygen supply to grow. Thus with low oxygen form the sickle S cells, the parasite die. Thus over the course of time, the S cells were passed on for generation to generation, and so due to inter marraige and gene transfer, the down side of the S cell, is that hey cause sickle cell anemin, thus most African Americans, And AFRICANS are either AS, or SS. Good question dude!

First of all only one parent has to have sickle cell for the child to be affected, both need it for full blown sickle cell anemia. Most groups affected by sickle cell had ancestors who lived in areas prone to malaria. Children who were born with one gene for sickle cell (not both and thus full blown sickle cell anemia) had a better chance of surviving malaria infections than those without the gene. Malaria is much more common in Africa then in many other places and somewhere these people ended up with a mutated gene (sickle cell) which turned out to be benneficial when it came to malaria. Course if they had full blown sickle cell anemia they would most likely die.

Because it is a genetically linked disease. There are different types of anemia that effect other cultures as well. What that means is the gene has to be present in both parents for the child to get sickle cell.

It is a condition that has been naturally selected for in Africa because as a carrier of the sickle cell gene you are more likely to survive malaria. Malaria is a disease passed by a mosquito. It is prominant in Africa but not in Europe, which is why one group is the main carrier for the sickle cell gene and not the other.

Because the sickle cell affects the erythrocytes (red blood cells) making them inhospitable to malaria parasites. Over the centuries, this meant that having sickle cell was an advantage in malarial regions (usually warm countries). Therefore people with this trait were more likely to survive to reproduce and pass on their genes.

Genetics, they inherit it from their ancestors. It is believed that it lends some resistance to malaria so they actually had an advantage from it. In Africa now, fewer people have it since malaria is not such a threat anymore. WIth their poor medical care, people with sickle cell die earlier. In US, people with sickle cell can live longer and pass along their genes.

They have the genetic adaptation to produce Sickle Cells (malformed red blood cell). These blood cells help the body to prevent malaria, but the blood cells get stuck because of their shape.

it seems to be an evolutionary mutation as it seems to protect, or at least have an effect on the symptoms against malaria