Using the theory of natural selection explain how people with sickle cell trait became more prevalent in the areas in africa where there is a high incidence of malaria?

Question: Using the theory of natural selection explain how people with sickle cell trait became more prevalent in the areas in africa where there is a high incidence of malaria?

Natural selection is the process by which organisms with certain traits have a higher chance of survival and reproduction than others in a given environment. One example of natural selection in humans is the sickle cell trait, which is a genetic condition that affects the shape and function of red blood cells. 

People with sickle cell trait have one normal copy and one mutated copy of the gene that codes for hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in red blood cells. The mutated gene produces a form of hemoglobin called hemoglobin S, which can cause the red blood cells to become sickle-shaped and sticky when they lose oxygen. This can lead to various health problems, such as anemia, pain, infections, and organ damage. 

However, sickle cell trait also has a protective effect against malaria, a parasitic disease that is transmitted by mosquitoes and affects millions of people worldwide. Malaria parasites infect and destroy red blood cells, causing fever, chills, headache, nausea, and sometimes death. People with sickle cell trait are less likely to get infected or have severe symptoms of malaria, because the sickle-shaped red blood cells are less hospitable to the parasites and are cleared faster by the immune system.

Sickle cell trait is most prevalent in regions where malaria is endemic, such as sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Central and South America and Southeast Asia. This is because natural selection has favored the carriers of the sickle cell gene in these areas, as they have a survival advantage over those who do not have the trait. The sickle cell gene has arisen independently several times in different populations through random mutations, and has spread through generations due to its protective effect against malaria  .

Therefore, using the theory of natural selection, we can explain how people with sickle cell trait became more prevalent in the areas in Africa where there is a high incidence of malaria. They have inherited a genetic mutation that confers resistance to malaria, which increases their chances of survival and reproduction in an environment where malaria is a major threat to health and life .