sickle-cell allele one copy malaria resistance

One copy of the sickle-cell gene can help protect against malaria

People with one copy of the sickle-cell variant are more resistant to malaria than people without it. In places where malaria is common, this advantage can help keep the variant in the population even though two copies can cause sickle-cell disease.

Cats cannot taste sweetness but strongly taste compounds in tuna

Domestic cats have a genetic change that prevents their sweet-taste receptors from responding normally to sugar. Tuna is different: cats can detect compounds in it that together produce a strong savory, or umami, taste.

Public-key encryption lets you share one key with everyone

Public-key encryption uses a pair of keys. One can be shared with everyone, while the matching private key stays secret. This solved a major problem: two people no longer had to secretly exchange the same key before they could communicate securely.

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sickle-cell allele one copy malaria resistance

One copy of the sickle-cell gene can help protect against malaria

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