A child complains of dizziness and sporadic pain in his joints.Because sickle-cell anemia runs in the family, his doctor tests for the _______ of the disorder via a blood smear, which reveals a low red blood cell count and fragmented red blood cells.To confirm the _______ of the disorder, the doctor orders a DNA sequencing test of hemoglobin.

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The child's doctor is testing for the presence of sickle-cell anemia, which is a genetic disorder affecting the shape of red blood cells. The blood smear revealed fragmented red blood cells, which is a sign of sickle cell anemia. Testing for the disorder's genotype (the specific genes involved) would confirm the presence of the disease, and this is done through DNA sequencing of hemoglobin. The term "phenotype" refers to the observable physical characteristics of an individual, which can include symptoms of a disease, but in this case, the doctor is primarily interested in the underlying genetic cause of the symptoms. The other answer choices are not relevant to this scenario.

A Child Complains of Dizziness and Sporadic Pain in His