Which condition is Malik most likely to have if he is a carrier?

Being a carrier of a genetic condition generally means that an individual has one normal allele and one mutated allele for a recessive disorder. In the context of sickle cell disease and sickle cell trait, if Malik is identified as a carrier, this means he possesses the sickle cell trait.

Sickle cell trait occurs when a person inherits one sickle cell allele (HbS) from one parent and one normal hemoglobin allele (HbA) from the other parent. Individuals with sickle cell trait typically do not exhibit the symptoms associated with sickle cell disease, as the presence of the normal allele is enough to produce healthy red blood cells in most situations. Therefore, they can lead a normal life but can pass the sickle cell allele on to their offspring.

In contrast, having sickle cell disease would require inherited two sickle cell alleles (HbSS), leading to the various complications associated with the condition. Being a carrier does not imply having thalassemia either, as that is a different genetic disorder characterized by abnormalities in hemoglobin synthesis.

To summarize, if Malik is categorized as a carrier, he is most likely to have sickle cell trait, as this aligns with the genetic inheritance pattern and the condition associated with carrying one