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What is Person having heterozygous sickle cell trait is protected from infection of - and explain in detail?
Ans. (a) Plasmodium falciparum(Ref: Robbins 9th/pg 635-636; 8th/pg 645-646; Wintrobe's 12th/pg 1038)Person having heterozygous sickle cell trait is protected from infection of Plasmodium falciparum Mechanism by which patients with sickle cell trait are protected against Malaria:Preferential sickling of parasitized cells has been seen in the blood of children with sickle cell trait & malaria.Selective removal of sickled cells from the circulation probably reduces the degree of parasitemia and substantially limits the infectious process.