Nicholas Ramnarine

Laboratory Manual
Skill: Observation, Recording, and Reporting
Title: Genetics: Sickle Cell Anemia
Aim: To observe the pattern of inheritance of sickle cell anemia in a family.

Apparatus and Materials:

https://www.looptt.com/content/sickle-cell-anaemia-patient-dont-judge-book-its-cover

Method:

1) The following information about a family with sickle cell anemia was used to determine the
genotypes of the parents and four children: “Terri-Ann Philip hails from the quiet community of
La Lune Village, Moruga, and was born with sickle cell disease after both her parents carried a
trait of the illness. Her eldest sibling, Pernell, was lucky, he was only born with the trait.
However, her brother, Terrance, died in 2017 due to congestive cardiac failure as a result of the
disease while her sister, Annalisa, died in 2004 at age 6 from pneumonia caused by sickle cell
anemia.” Source: LoopTT
2) The genotypes of Terri-Ann’s parents were used to find the expected genotypic and phenotypic
ratios for the sickle-cell of their offspring.
3) These expected ratios were compared to the observed genotypic and phenotypic ratios of their
four children.
Nicholas Ramnarine

Results:
Nicholas Ramnarine

Genotypes of The Children

Children Genotypes

Terri-Ann Philip Hs Hs

Pernell HN HN

Terrance Hs Hs

Annalisa Hs Hs

Discussion:

Background Information

● Sickle cell anemia is an inherited red blood cell disorder in which there aren't enough healthy
red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout your body due to the blood cell being in a crescent
shape which will reduce the cell’s maximum capacity of oxygen.
● The genotypes for - Carrier: HN Hs

Normal: HN HN

Sickle Cell: Hs Hs and Hs HN

Explanation of Results

● The expected results and the actual results are different because Fertilization Event is random,
the punnet square only gives the possible outcome in that single fertilization event.
● Sickle Cell Anemia is not a sex link because there have to be two parents with either recessive or
dominant sickle cell gene to allow their children to inherit it.
● The parents did not know spout the disease because it did not affect them because it was
recessive in their genes.

Limitations

● Limitations of Punnett squares as models of inheritance include is the lack of information about
likely variation, due to dangerous testing that would on the patients.

Reflection:

With this knowledge, families can have their genetics tested and are able to make wise decisions when it
comes to children such as adoption.
Nicholas Ramnarine

Conclusion:

During this experiment, the pattern of inheritance of sickle cell anemia in a family was observed and the
ratio per fertilization event is a 25% chance for the child to be normal, a 50% chance the child will have
sickle cell anemia, and a 25% chance the child will be a carrier.