Question

In alpha thalassemia, the gene HBAI is located on the chromosome.
(a) 8
(b) 22
(c) 9
(d) 16

Answer 1

Hint: The gene is hemoglobin alpha 1 that is present in the chromosomes of the humans. The alpha gene is located after the beta gene which is present on chromosome number 11. The two alpha chains together form hemoglobin.

Complete Step by Step Answer:
In alpha thalassemia, the gene HBAI known as Hemoglobin Alpha I gene is located on chromosome number 16 in humans. The human molecule of alpha- globin consists of two alpha chains that together form a molecule of hemoglobin.
- The hemoglobin consists of two alpha chains and two beta chains.
- The alpha thalassemia is found to be caused due to the deletion of the HBA 1 or HBA 2 genes.
- Thalassemia is a type of blood disorder that mainly occurs due to the less number of hemoglobin molecules in the blood.
- The main cause is due to the decrease in the number of the alpha chains the number of hemoglobin molecules decreases resulting in the blood disorder and it is also inheritable in nature that is transferred from one generation to another.
- The thalassemia may also result in the production of the unstable beta- globin chains that in turn affect the red blood cells and cause defects in them.
- They are mainly caused due to the deletion of chromosome number 16 and is recessive inheritable disorder.

So, the correct answer is ‘16’.

Note: Thalassemia was first discovered by Dr. Thomas Benton Cooley and was also called Cooley’s anemia after the name of its researcher. The HBA 1 globin chain was first discovered by the Iranian scientist Samuel Rahbar.