Albinism is a congenital disorder associated with partial or total lack of pigmentation of the skin. Scientifically, this is referred to as the Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) (). This condition is genetically inherited, passed from parents with carrier genes or those already with the disorder to their off springs. OCA is subdivided into two categories, OCA1 and OCA 2. OCA 2 is the most prevalent type of albinism found in Africa.
People living with albinism are more susceptible to negative social constructions among the Africans as well as harmful effects of the ultraviolet exposure from the sun leading to major health issues. Besides the discrimination that this population lives with, they must live with other health issues such as visual problems, sun sensitivity and skin cancer. In parts of Africa, there are beliefs that the people with albinism are cursed or even cannibals. Others believe that their body parts are magical and they are hunted and body parts such as arms and genitals cut down, being left either alive or dead.
Prevalence data on albinism is available on Tanzania, South Africa, Malawi, Nigeria and Zimbabwe. Worldwide, the prevalence is 1 in every 5000 people but in these countries, it goes as high as 1 in every 1000 people. Africans are generally at a greater risk of albinism and the health and social challenges that are associated with the disorder. This paper studies these reported results discussing the albinos are haunted in Africa due to their skin
Chimpanzees have what is called melanin, which is a dark brown pigment that protects them from UV radiation. Melanin is a natural sunscreen, which filters out UV radiation. It is been proven that people with high concentration of melanin in their skin heading to come from tropical areas and it has protected them from skin cancer. After all of this research, Jablonski and Chaplin then ask, “what role melanin might play in human evolution?” (170).
the definition of sex-linked genes, and examples of sex-linked genes in humans and other organisms
According to McIntosh’s suggestion, “we should acknowledge enormous unseen dimensions, talk about the obliviousness advantages, and raise our daily awareness on the perquisites of being light-skinned.” McIntosh’s approaches are characterized as reasonable to resolve the issue. By listing down every advantage she takes for granted, she is raising awareness in the society. By
You won't die of it...” (11) .Pale skinned people, in Tanzania appear to have their own star, or prompt sign that makes them a target for their communities abuse. Both, the star and attributes of an albino individual in Tanzania makes them the
5. In the film, Dr. Jablonski explains that melanin, located in the top layer of human skin, absorbs UV radiation, protecting cells from the damaging effects of UV. Genetics determines the type of melanin (i.e., brown/black eumelanin or red/brown pheomelanin) and the amount of melanin present in an individual’s cells. Based on this information, write a hypothesis for where in the world you would expect to find human populations with
When the scientific community begins to spread unfounded hypotheses regarding genetic differences between races, particularly differences that attribute poorer health or increased susceptibility to disease among minority groups, a Pandora’s Box is opened of potential dangers which can aid proponents of racist doctrines. Historically, scientific studies that sought to prove biological differences among races have led to violently racist movements like slavery, colonialism, and the Holocaust. Hence, as other pharmaceutical companies follow NitroMed’s path and begin marketing drugs targeted for specific racial groups, the dangers of such race-based therapeutics must be acknowledged.
Have you ever wanted to walk in someone else’s shoes for a day and see what life is like for people on the other side of the planet? Would you be more thankful for the life you have and the skin you live in? The environment, food, and habits are different for everyone depending on where they live in the world. Americans have the ability to see the flexibility in these components, but other countries can not afford to change these factors to benefit their skin. The skin is the largest organ of the body, the Sudanese and American families must be able to promote a healthy lifestyle to maintain and enhance their skin.
Geographical isolation in the past has caused a variation in skin color; natural selection selected specific skin pigments depending on environmental factors. Early humans who moved to Europe were introduced to a place that had less sunlight than their former place of residence. Overtime, light skin (skin with lower levels of melanin) was selected for since there were not as many UV rays that the skin needed protection from. But, what was wrong with having dark skin in Europe? How is extra melanin a disadvantage in this case? One thing to remember is that even though the sun can provide UV rays, sunlight is also a great source of natural vitamin D (Jablonski; Kirchweger). Vitamin D helps bones absorb calcium and is particularly essential for developing embryos in pregnant women. The adaptation for lighter skin was important because the skin needed to absorb as much sunlight as it could in order to receive optimal amounts of vitamin D (Kirchweger). However, too much vitamin D can be fatal. So as high amounts of melanin protected the skin from excessive UV rays in Africa, they also protected it from excessive vitamin D (Kirchweger).
The source of racism and white supremacy is fear of genetic annihilation. Their existence is a result of genetic mutation and environmental adaptation according to scholars and scientist of various fields. Albinism is a genetic imperfection that prohibits the production of melanin, the genetic content that gives color to eyes, skin and hair. Legendary scholar, author and psychiatrist, Dr. Frances Cress Welsing argues that African albinos, rejected by their parents, alienated from their communities and sensitive to the African sun, were forced to migrate northward to Europe. This as a consequence resulted in inbreeding amongst the exiles led to the birth of the White or European race. Racism and white supremacy functions both on a microcosmic and macrocosmic level. Similar to a massive bureaucracy, white dominion is wielded by a web of wealthy, influential and powerful individuals and institutions conjoined together through the common objective of subjugating the world’s people of color, especially Blacks, in order to ensure white genetic survival. As a collective race, Europeans are a numerical and statistical overwhelming minority in the world, contributing to less than ten percent of the worlds population. This fear of white genetic annihilation is also responsible for genocidal campaigns against people of color, Blacks in particular, because we hold the dominant genetic material to eradicate their recessive genes if race mixing ensued. In closing the problem of the 20th
A major function of melanin is to act as a defensive barrier of the skin against radiation damage. Ultraviolet light between the wavelengths 280-320nm (UV-B) causes sunburn and damages the skin on nonpigmented peoples. Exposure to this degree of light causes their skin to become dry, leathery, and wrinkled in appearance similar to that associated with aging. This can be seen in Whites living in Australia and South Africa, where ultraviolet light intensity is high because of the relative latitude or closeness to the equator.
As the research continues it becomes ever more important to discuss how exactly the differing pigmentation of one race of people actually occurs, because I feel that it has an effect on the way colorism is handled throughout the African American community. There are two ways in which a person of African descent can be of a lighter complexion; the first being amalgamation, which is the coming together of both the black and white races and reproducing to make a mulatto or mixed race child and the second is the use of cosmetic creams in attempt to bleach one’s skin until they too appear mulatto (Dorman 48). This is relevant because, it shows the extremes that people are willing to go to reach the highest plateau of social acceptance. Many of these creams were painful acidic chemicals slowly burning away the pigmentation as people slept, while others were considered mild abrasive materials used to “gently” scrape away dark pigments (Dorman
Albinos are pure white with red eyes and absolutely no coloration in there skin at all making them seem like a blank white canvases with 2 small red dots on there face from far away. I suppose you could also wear a mask to hide most of those features you have like a mouth and eyebrows but it would make no sense when you talk for you r mouth to not move. You could also shave of your eyebrows so your face was a little less..... human like. But your eyebrows would always grow back so that would all be pointless.
We often connect ourselves to the world through our appearances. One of the first characteristics we notice about another human is the color of their skin. It is unavoidable, as the largest organ of the body, it covers and highlights our individual features and forms a protective wall against the elements. There is no escape from the social repercussions our pigmentation causes no matter what range of the very broad spectrum of color we fall into. I have never thought so much about the genetic and social evolution of skin and its properties until I read Nina Jablonski’s Living Color: The Biological and Social Meaning of Skin Color. This book encompasses, in great detail, how our skin has evolved, adapted and mutated throughout time and in what
Albinism is a condition that is inherited from both parents where a person is born with a lack of the usual amount of the pigment melanin. Melanin is the main substance that determines what color hair, eyes, and skin tone someone will have. Albinism is also a rare mutation that affects very few people worldwide, though in some places more than others. The symptoms are quite unique for those who have it as well. Some tribes and small villages even kill or exile those with the mutation.
The relentless pursuit of people with Albinism has been a crisis in sub-Saharan Africa for many years. Albinism is a rare genetic disorder that causes the lack of pigmentation in the skin. This leaves the person with Albinism in sub-Saharan Africa to be a large minority facing harsh, unimaginable discrimination. The High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, in the M2 Presswire states that many Albino’s “are living in abject fear”, “some no longer dare to go outside, and children with albinism have stopped attending school” (1). The M2 Presswire shows that within just the 6 months prior to March 10, 2015, there had been 15 Albino attacks, resulting in the “abduct[ing], wound[ing], or kill[ing]” of people with Albinism, including