noun
definition
Congenital lack of melanin pigmentation in the skin, eyes, and hair or feathers (or more rarely only in the eyes); the condition of being albino.
synonyms
Examples of albinism in a Sentence
In the condition known as albinism there is a congenital deficiency or entire absence of pigment.
We may assume that increased stature and breadth imply some sort of inherent physical superiority, and if such an assumption is valid we have in man evidence that albinism is correlated not with constitutional defectiveness but with greater perfectness.
Genetic counseling should be considered for individuals with a family history of albinism.
Before we can inquire into the cause and meaning of albinism it will be necessary first to consider the nature of pigmentation.
An albino is a homozygote; that is, all its gametes are carrying the character of albinism and none of them bear the alternative character - the allelomorph - of pigmentation.
Now such a gametic (egg or sperm) constitution can only result when two individuals, all or some of whose gametes are pure with regard to the character albinism, meet in fertilization.
A b X N N(A) N+2N(A)+A No other rational explanation of the close relationship between albinism and cousin marriages is at present forthcoming.
Partial albinism in this case was undoubtedly correlated with some inherent constitutional defect, in virtue of which the individuals characterized by it were injuriously affected by the juices of a plant quite innocuous to their pigmented brethren.
We are not aware of any but two of these albinos having ever turned into the perfect Amblystoma form, as happened in Paris in 1870, the albinism being retained.
Following our move to Devon we saw an ophthalmologist at Torbay hospital who said he thought Matthew had ocular albinism.
Living with ocular albinism Our son, Sebastian, was born in November 1992.
The ocular findings in albinism include nystagmus, decreased visual acuity; hypopigmentation of retinal tissue, and macular hypoplasia.
Albinism, with which variegated foliage may be considered, concerns a different set of causes, still obscure, and usually regarded as internal, though experiments go to show that some variegations are infectious.
In heredity, complete albinism among animals is always recessive; and partial albinism (piebald) is always recessive to complete pigmentation (self-coloured).
Certain individuals with chronic medical conditions such as Albinism or those who are on certain chronic medications to treat their medical condition may also be at higher risk.
Albinism is an inherited condition that is present at birth.
Many types of albinism exist, all of which involve lack of pigment in varying degrees.
The most common type of albinism is oculocutaneous albinism, which affects the eyes, hair, and skin.
Everyone with oculocutaneous albinism experiences abnormal flickering eye movements (nystagmus) and sensitivity to bright light.
The second most common type of the condition is known as ocular albinism, in which only the eyes lack color; skin and hair are normal.
Albinism is also referred to as hypopigmentation.
Albinism is a rare disorder found in fewer than five people per 100,000 in the United States and Europe.
Although albinism can affect all races, other parts of the world have a much higher rate; for example, albinism is found in about 20 out of every 100,000 people in southern Nigeria.
The parents of most children with albinism have normal hair and eye color for their ethnic background and do not have a family history of albinism.
Many people with albinism do not have melanin pigment in their skin, do not tan with exposure to the sun, and as a result develop sunburn.
Over time, people with albinism may develop skin cancers if they do not adequately protect their skin from sun exposure.
Albinism is a autosomal recessive disease, which means that a person must have two copies of the defective gene to exhibit symptoms of the disease.
Because the task of making melanin is complex, there are many different types of albinism, involving a number of different genes.
It is also possible to inherit one normal gene and one albinism gene.
About one in 70 people are albinism carriers, with one defective gene but no symptoms; they have a 50 percent chance of passing the albinism gene to their child.
However, if both parents are carriers with one defective gene each, they have a one in four chance of passing on both copies of the defective gene to the child, who will have albinism.
There is also a type of ocular albinism that is carried on the X chromosome and occurs almost exclusively in males because they have only one X chromosome and, therefore, no other gene for the trait to override the defective one.
One of the myths about albinism is that it causes people to have pink or red eyes.
In fact, people with albinism can have irises varying from light gray or blue to brown.
If people with albinism seem to have reddish eyes, it is because light is being reflected from the back of the eye (retina) in much the same way as happens when people are photographed with an electronic flash.
In addition, albinism does not cause blindness.
The doctor should be called when a person with albinism exhibits symptoms such as photophobia that cause discomfort.
The parent of a child with albinism should also call the doctor if the child bruises easily or has unusual bleeding, such as repeated nosebleeds or bloody diarrhea.
It is not always easy to diagnose the exact type of albinism a person has.
In the early 2000s, a blood test has been developed that can identify carriers of the gene for some types of albinism; a similar test during amniocentesis can diagnose some types of albinism in an unborn child.
A chorionic villus sampling test during the fifth week of pregnancy may also reveal some types of albinism.
In some types of albinism, a genetic defect in tyrosinase means that the amino acid tyrosine cannot be converted by tyrosinase into melanin.
There is no treatment that can replace the lack of melanin that causes the symptoms of albinism.
For reading, children with albinism may or may not need materials with large print text, depending on the severity of their vision problems.
Patients with albinism should avoid excessive exposure to the sun, especially between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and should wear long sleeves and pants if possible.
Most children with albinism function satisfactorily in a mainstream classroom as long as the school provides classroom assistance for their vision needs.
Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome-A rare type of albinism, most common in the Puerto Rican community, which can cause pigment changes, lung disease, intestinal disorders, and blood disorders.
However, one of the greatest health hazards for people with albinism is excessive exposure to sun without protection, which may lead to skin cancer.
Wearing opaque clothes and sunscreen with at least an SPF rating of 30, people with albinism can safely work and play outdoors even during the summer.
Children with albinism may experience complex social problems because of their unusual appearance, especially when a member of a normally dark-skinned ethnic group has albinism.