Write the type and location of the gene causing thalassemia in humans.State the cause and symptoms of the disease

[prasanna]

1. Autosomal, recessive gene, gene for alpha thalassaemia is on chromosome 16, for Beta thalassaemia it is on chromosome 11.
2. Cause of symptoms - Mutation or deletion of the gene/genes, resulting in reduced rate of synthesis of one of the globin chains/ alpha or beta chains.
3. Thalassaemia is a quantitative problem/of too few globin molecules of haemoglobin, while sickle cell is a qualitative problem of synthesizing an incorrectly functioning globin.