Albinism Research Paper

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).

Imagine, you are a seven year old boy living in an Chinese orphanage where there are nearly a thousand other children, and you were found on the side of the road wrapped in a yellow blanket. Out of all of the children you are the only albino. Your skin and hair are white as snow, and your eyes are red or lavender depending on the light. It is impossible to fit in because albinism is feared in the Chinese culture. One day someone tells you that you are moving. No explanation why or where you are moving, and with the clothes on your back you are dropped off at an office, waiting for the start of a new life.

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

as a intangible factor. Colored children not having the ability to study, to engage in discussions and

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

. . M, P. (2015, October 27). An Overview of Human Genetic Disorders with Special Reference to African Americans. Retrieved November 16, 2017, from https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/an-overview-of-human-genetic-disorders-with-special-reference-to-africanamericans-2155-9821-1000e139.php?aid=63273

People especially in Malawi Africa believe many things about Albinos bodies (skin, bones, etc.). For example, they think that Albinos have mystical powers that could change lives for the better by bringing fortune or power from their body parts. They also believe that albinos are not human and that their only value is the gold that is in their bones. As you can see, the Malawian people’s education are very low on the information on Albinos. If somehow they were educated on how people with albinism are just like them then just maybe there would be a decline on killings and kidnapping. Albinos are kidnapped mainly for their body parts that can be sold for large amounts of money. For instance, an albino corpse in southern can be worth ]75,000 dollars.This proves that albinos body parts are very valuable and profitable when or if you sell them. Due to these beliefs and information, Albinos are targeted and killed.

McCune-Albright syndrome (MAS) is a disorder caused by a non-inherited mutation of GNAS1 gene. Clinical manifestations of the disorder include one or more of the following: (1) polyostotic fibrous dysplasia (PFD), (2) café-au-lait skin pigmentation, and (3) endocrine hyperfunction, usually early puberty in girls but also may include other endocrine abnormalities like pituitary gigantism and Cushing syndrome. It is a rare disease with estimated prevalence between 1/100,000 and 1/1,000,000. Prognosis is good if it is diagnosed and treated promptly. Most mortality is associated with PFD. Diagnosis may include hormone level monitoring, imaging and GNAS1 genetic testing. Treatment is dictated by the tissues

Tanzanian albinos face the struggles of being different from their prominent population in their everyday lives (Burke et. al. 2). Albinos in general have always been facing hardships in sub-African countries (“For the colour of their skin” np ). A prime example of these hardships is the hunting of albinos. African “witchdoctors” believe that the bones and skin of the albino people can cure illnesses and bring wealth (Burke et. al. 3). The government acts are unjust with these accusations, too, as one example explains a man found with bones from an albino was only fined less than 30 dollars (“For the colour of their skin” np). These innocent people are at risk of being kidnapped and slaughtered on a daily basis (Dave-Odigie 69). Chinenye P. Dave-Odigie illustrates an experience from Mariam Emmanuel, who was chased into an alleyway by a mob and was

It severely impairs sharpness of vision and causes problems with combining vision from both eyes to perceive depth. Vision loss is permanent, but does not worsen over time. Individuals with ocular albinism have abnormalities involving optic nerves, carry visual info from eye to brain (“Ocular Albinism”). Ocular albinism does not significantly affect color of skin and hair. People with condition may have lighter complexion, but differences are usually minor. Vision and skin care are major considerations for people with albinism. The lack of pigment makes eyes and skin very sensitive to sunlight and the skin prone to sunburn. Oculocutaneous albinism can lead to premature aging of the skin and skin cancer. Using sunscreen, hats, and/or protective clothing can help prevent overexposure to the Sun. People with oculocutaneous or ocular albinism should use sunglasses to shade their eyes and should avoid direct and bright indoor lights and glare from shiny surfaces both indoors and outdoors. Some people with albinism find that their vision problems can be corrected with glasses, others may require surgery. Many people with albinism can see

Well, that is not true, there are a minimum of three sets of genes that control eye color and what’s more is that even if you have the dominate alleles for brown eye color, they can get shut off through other things. Things that happen during development in the womb and things that happen in the environment after you are born can turn those off. You can end up with blue eyes even though you have the genes for brown eyes and then they can pop up in the next generation, so blue eyed parents can have a brown eyed kid without and hanky

Human pigmentation is influenced by hemoglobins within blood vessels in the skin, carotene and melanins. Melanin, the basis of pigmentation, can be found in the forms of eumelanin and phaeomelanin. Eumelanin is the brown-black pigment located in the skin, hair, and eyes. Phaeomelanin is a yellow to reddish-brown pigment found in small quantities within the skin, eyes, and red hair. Because of these two pigments, to a greater or lesser degree, we have the variation

Albinism is a recessive inherited defect in melanin metabolism in which pigment is absent from the hair, skin, and eyes (oculocutaneous albinism) or just from the eyes (ocular Albinism). Albinos tend to be children of parents who were first cousins.

Colorism is the prejudice or discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically among people of the same ethnic or racial group. Colorism has been one of the most prominent dividing factors amongst multitudes of ethnicities and cultures. Lighter skin has been associated with higher levels of intelligence, wealth, attractiveness, and more. As a result, those of darker complexions have undergone drastic and harmful measures in order to meet these restrictive beauty standards. Advertisements exhibit men and women with creamy white skin and silky straight hair. Companies have profited off of colorism by selling skin bleaching and hair straightening products. The damage colorism has created amongst communities physically and psychologically is deplorable.

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.