Question

In regions where malaria is prevalent, the s allele is beneficial because:it causes red blood cells to distort, which makes them less hospitable to plasmodium, the parasite that causes malaria.it prevents mosquitoes from releasing plasmodium, the mosquito that causes malaria, into the blood.it improves the ability of the hemoglobin to carry oxygen.it improves the ability of the immune system to fight plasmodium, the parasite that causes malaria.

Answer 1

The S allele causes red blood cells to distort, which makes them less hospitable to plasmodium, the parasite that causes malaria.

Plasmodium has a life cycle in red blood cells. By having this cells distorted the parasite will not be able to reproduce because the cell will rupture prematurely. This allele is prevalent where malaria is dominant because it makes people more fit to the environment.