What is the inheritance pattern of Sickle Cell Anemia?

Sickle Cell Anemia is characterized by an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. This means that an individual must inherit two copies of the sickle cell gene mutation, one from each parent, in order to express the disease. Individuals with only one copy of the mutation are carriers, often referred to as sickle cell trait, and they typically do not show symptoms of the disease.

In autosomal recessive disorders like Sickle Cell Anemia, both parents can be carriers without exhibiting any symptoms, which can lead to a 25% chance for each child to inherit the disorder if both parents pass on the abnormal gene. This inheritance mechanism is crucial for understanding the prevalence and risks associated with Sickle Cell Anemia, especially in populations where the carrier status is more common.

The other options reflect different patterns of inheritance that do not apply to Sickle Cell Anemia. For example, autosomal dominant conditions would require only one copy of the mutant gene to express the condition, while X-linked dominant pertains to genes located on the X chromosome, affecting the phenotype differently based on sex. Meanwhile, multifactorial inheritance involves the interaction of multiple genes and environmental factors. Thus, the unique autosomal recessive inheritance pattern of Sickle Cell Anemia is