Characteristics of, and Life Living With Albinism

1168 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Albinism in humans

Living with a genetic disorder can be a frustrating endeavor at the best of times; physically standing out in a society that already has misconceptions and stereotypes about how and who a person should be, doesn’t exactly help, though, it’s conditions like these that people with albinism go through every day. Albinism is a genetic disorder that results in little to no pigment, or melanin, in the hair, skin, or eyes of an individual. The lack of melanin then results in, generally, a fair complexion, light blue eyes, and pale blonde hair. Interestingly enough, however, each individual’s range of pigmentation is unique to themselves, some having hair that is able to be as dark as brown or eyes that can span hazel to even darker. There are even people with freckles of pigmentation splattered across their light faces. All of these instances help to combat the stereotypical, completely white, red-eyed individuals portrayed to society.
Currently, there are four recognized types of Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA), albinism of the skin, hair and eyes, as well as a less common form known as Ocular albinism, which only affects the eyes. Each of the five kinds are the result of a different mutation, whether it be in an enzyme or a protein. The most common form is OCA1, which is caused by a defect in the Tyrosinase enzyme, an enzyme the helps in the production of melanin, resulting in what is most commonly a complete lack of pigment being produced. These are the most pale of albino individuals. All of the other forms of OCA have varying grades of colour attributed to the affected, meaning that some people don’t even realize that they have it. OCA3 is caused by a defect in the protein TYRP1 and probably results in the most normal appearances i...

... middle of paper ...

...ed June 01, 2014, from http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/hermansky-pudlak-syndrome
HowStuffWorks "Albinism in Animals" (2008). Retrieved June 02, 2014, from http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/problems/medical/albinism6.htm
Information for. (n.d.). Retrieved June 01, 2014, from http://www.albinism.org/faq/report.html
Science Fun: Albino Plants. (2013). Retrieved June 02, 2014, from http://mistralmtn.blogspot.com/2013/09/albino-plants.html
Shocking Brutality in Tanzania International Press Release. Retrieved 26 May, 2014, from http://www.underthesamesun.com/sites/default/files/NR%20-%20May%2013%202014.pdf What causes albinism? (n.d.). Retrieved June 02, 2014, from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/killing-albinos-tanzania-albinism/
What is Albinism? (n.d.). Retrieved June 01, 2014, from http://www.albinism.org/publications/what_is_albinism.html

Show More
Related

  • Alopecia Hair Loss

    957 Words  | 2 Pages

    Alopecia refers to partial or complete hair loss. It can affect both men and women of all ages and races. Androgen mediated alopecia is experienced by about 70 % of men and 40% of women.

    Read More

  • Hair: Integumentary System

    1073 Words  | 3 Pages

    The hair of the scalp is longer and more flexible, while the hair of the eyebrows tends to be short and stiff. Oval shaped hair shafts produce wavy hair, flat hair shafts create curly hair and hair shafts that are perfectly round create straight hair. There are also different types of melanin, a natural compound responsible for the production of color in the eyes, skin and hair. There is yellow, brown and black melanin, each produced by melanocytes located at the follicle base. With age, melanin production decreases, causing greying of hair. (Applegate & Saunders, 2001, pp

    Read More

  • Black Natural Hair Essay

    572 Words  | 2 Pages

    Some existing Literature on Natural Hair The existing literature on ethnic and racial studies among African-Americans has focused on issues pertaining to beauty and body politics especially on natural hair. Spellers and Moffitt assert that the body politics that one assumes, guides how one relates to a particular political ideology in a particular society. Black natural hair is considered as a way by which the true identity of African women can be understood (Jacobs-Huey). It is a symbol of power among black women; it influences how people are treated by others.

    Read More

  • Living with Asperger's Syndrome

    560 Words  | 2 Pages

    Albert Einstein, Bela Bartok, Alan Turing, Bill Gates, Thomas Jefferson and I. Is this a list of Geniuses? People who have changed history?

    Read More

  • The Dark Girls Documentary

    650 Words  | 2 Pages

    Your skin pigment or the amount of melanin in you skin has the ability to change your whole outlook on life and determines if you will possibly have fewer or more challenges to face during your lifespan. The amount for melanin that an individual has according to society can determine if you are either the ugly duckling through societies eyes or if you are a beautiful swan. In this short paper I will be discussing the Dark Girls documentary.

    Read More

  • Essay On Albinism In Tanzania

    1020 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the course of my research the country Tanzania, located in East Africa stood out to me the most as a candidate for my research paper. The reason being, this region has received little media attention about the mass murders and underground trafficking and trade of body parts that take place there. Tanzanians are suffering. In particular Tanzanians are suffering from albinism; a defect of melanin production that results in little or no color in the skin, hair, and eyes.

    Read More

  • Understanding Race And Diversity In The Native American Culture

    1830 Words  | 4 Pages

    According to biological traits, racial categories are considered to be visible genetic traits which are face structures, shape of the body, and skin color. However, certain differences and

    Read More

  • Fruit Fly Lab Report

    1101 Words  | 3 Pages

    The white (w) eye color gene is located on the X chromosome at 1.5 genetic map units (1). The mutation is also recessive, meaning that each fly has different copies of the gene if they are either male or female (2). In wild-type Drosophila, the brick red color is visible due to the combination of two pigments, brown and scarlet. The synthesis of drosopterin for bright red pigments is controlled by the (bw+) gene and the synthesis of ommochromes for brown pigments is controlled by the (st+) gene (7). Therefore, there are two pigment synthesis pathways that must be working in order for the flies to express the brick red eye color. In addition, transport proteins are responsible for transporting both pigments into the eye in order to express the color (8). Thus, both the pathways responsible for the synthesis of brown and red pigments must work properly as well as the genes that encode for transport proteins. Despite having white eyes, Drosophila flies with this mutation still experience normal eyesight

    Read More

  • Guatemalan Stereotypes Essay

    518 Words  | 2 Pages

    When I was a toddler, I had blonde hair, blue eyes and white skin, and still presently do. My parents are Guatemalan, however they fit the stereotype of a Guatemalan, small, a bit chunky, and tan. My siblings also carry the same genes as my parents, but yet I stand out like the moon in a night sky. But just like the moon, the public looks at me different. Growing up in a hispanic community and having a Latino family I gained numerous titles for my abnormality. “Canche” is the George Clooney of my nicknames, it means white boy.

    Read More

  • Integumentary System and Albinism

    1541 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...be also highly affected in people with albinism. Usually people with albinism wait until the sunsets to go outside to do some of these activities. Some individuals with albinism have problems with emotional regulation skills which is mainly affected by the way society react to their looks.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Individuality In The Giver

    746 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...ee any differences, if there were any. The way the community is shaped, they may not want people to think less of themselves, or want an attribute from someone that they don’t have themselves. Instead of being an individual, a person with pale eyes, feels shameful of their difference.

    Read More

  • Discursive Essay on Racism

    1169 Words  | 3 Pages

    middle of paper ... ... avour of "purity of the race" idea, but they understand how it worked. Blond hair and blue eyes are recessive genes. Two brown-eyed people can give birth to a blue-eyed child, but two blue-eyed people cannot give birth to a brown-eyed child. Dark skin and dark hair are also dominant genes, so because of evolution, it must mean that the ancestors of humanity had dominant genes.

    Read More

  • Albinism

    486 Words  | 1 Pages

    Albinism is a very serious disease that could end up in death. Albinism is a recessive inherited defect in melanin, which is metabolism in which pigment is absent from skin, hair, and eyes. Albinism in hair, skin, and eyes is called oculocutaneous albinism. Humans that have oculocotaneous albinism are not able to produce melanin. These people have white, yellow, or yellow brown hair, very light ( usually blue ) eyes, and very pale skin. Their eyes may appear pink because they have very little pigment.

    Read More

  • Personal Essay: Nature Vs. Nurture?

    1295 Words  | 3 Pages

    My sister was born with blonde hair and she is filled with freckles and she also is very short compared to what we were at her age. She is 5’2 and in eighth grade and when I was in fifth grade I was like 5 6 or 5 7 and I had huge feet and that is just an example with reference to nature vs. nurturing that where hereditary falls in play.

    Read More

  • Skin Tone Essay

    801 Words  | 2 Pages

    Over time, scientists who studied the human body learned that variations in skin tone appeared to be adaptive traits that were passed through genes from parents to children. These traits corresponded closely with geography and the Sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

    Read More

More about Characteristics of, and Life Living With Albinism

Open Document