Question

Both sickle cell anaemia and Huntington’s chorea are
A) Virus related diseases
B) Bacteria related diseases
C) Congenital disorders
D) Pollution induced disorders

Answer 1

Diseases can be categorised into various types based on how they are caused and whether the individual with the disease experiences it for a period of life or throughout the life since birth.

Complete answer
Huntington’s chorea which is also called Huntington’s disease is a neurodegenerative condition which causes symptoms like lack of coordination and mental disabilities. On the other hand, sickle cell anaemia is a red blood cell disorder which is characterised by replacement of normal blood cells with sickle shaped blood cells because of which they get stuck in the vessel and block the blood and oxygen flow to other parts of the body.

Let us analyze the options to find out the correct answer.
Option A: Virus related diseases are those which are caused by the virus. They do not always cause lifetime disease in an individual. Hungtington’s chorea and sickle cell anaemia are not caused by any virus. Therefore, this is the incorrect option.

Option B: Bacteria related diseases are those which are caused by a bacteria. Hungtington’s chorea and sickle cell anaemia are not caused by any bacteria.Therefore, this is the incorrect option.

Option C: Congenital disorders are those which are inherited disorders and are causes before or at birth of an infected person. Both sickle cell anaemia and Huntington's disease are examples of inherited disorders as both of these are caused either due to defects in genes or mutations in genetic material. They are present in the person affected since birth and is a lifetime condition that occurs in them. Therefore, this is the correct option.

Option D: Pollution induced disorders are those which are caused due to change in environmental conditions and increase pollution. Hungtington’s chorea and sickle cell anaemia are not caused by pollution.Therefore, this is the incorrect option (C) Congenital disorders.

Hence the correct answer is option ‘C’.

Note: Huntington’s disease is an autosomal dominant condition while sickle cell anemia is an autosomal recessive condition. In autosomal recessive conditions both parents must have passed a defective gene to produce an affected child.