Albinism is a hereditary condition.
Albinism is the condition that the albino has: the living being that, due to a lack of pigmentation , has hair, skin or other parts of its body of a color closer to white compared to the usual shades of its race or species. The term comes from the Latin albinus (synonymous with "white" ), which in turn derives from albus .
The concept of albinism refers to different genetic alterations that occur from gene mutations. These changes cause melanin to disappear or its level to be reduced considerably. In the case of plants, it is produced by the absence of carotenes or other substances.
Albinism in humans and animals
In humans and other animals, cells called melanocytes convert tyrosine (an amino acid) into melanin. This pigment is distributed throughout the body, protecting and providing color to the iris of the eye, hair and skin. Those who have albinism cannot generate melanin or cannot distribute the pigment throughout the body.
Albinism is a hereditary condition . Depending on how the disorder develops, it is possible to speak of different types of albinism: complete albinism , oculocutaneous albinism , etc.
Animals can also have albinism.
Characteristics of people with this condition
People who have albinism share a series of significant characteristics, in addition to those already mentioned:
- A high percentage of albinos have severe vision problems that cannot even be corrected by using glasses. And both the retina and the connections between the brain and eyes are in an abnormal situation.
- Their complexion is so light that it is necessary that the protection they use against the sun be very strong, since otherwise they could have serious consequences for their skin .
Albinism and social persecution
No less important is that the vast majority of those with albinism face a high risk of suffering from social isolation . And in many corners of the planet there are legends and absurd prejudices regarding these individuals.
A good example of this is Africa , where in many countries albinism is associated with witchcraft and hence those who are albinos are subjected to persecution to end their lives. The latest data in this regard indicate that in recent years more than 160 people have been murdered due to this condition on the aforementioned continent.
famous personalities
Musicians Johnny Winter and Hermeto Pascoal and actor and writer Dennis Hurley are some of the famous personalities with albinism. In the case of animals , several have become popular in captivity, such as the Snowflake gorilla (died in 2003) and the Snowdrop penguin (died in 2004).
It should be noted that albino animals face many problems in surviving in the wild due to the ease with which predators detect them and the damage they suffer from the sun 's rays.