Ashkenazi Jews are European which means largely Eastern European which means largely in ghettos for centuries. Which means limited genetic material in reproduction. Which means inherited disease - BRCA for breast cancer, Tay-Sachs, etc.
If I understand correctly - sickle cell is a variant of hemoglobin where the hemoglobin causes the red blood cell to change its shape and when the shape is so deformed it resists malaria. Having that then makes it less likely you will die from malaria. So in places where malaria is endemic - Africa - sickling is protective and so natural selection selects for increased sickle cell trait. Over generations this results in much higher rates of sickle cell anemia.
If I understand correctly - sickle cell is a variant of hemoglobin where the hemoglobin causes the red blood cell to change its shape and when the shape is so deformed it resists malaria. Having that then makes it less likely you will die from malaria. So in places where malaria is endemic - Africa - sickling is protective and so natural selection selects for increased sickle cell trait. Over generations this results in much higher rates of sickle cell anemia.

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