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Albinism
BY: KELSEY JOHNSON AND LIPPTER LEE
PERIOD 4
Background/History of Albinism
 Albinism is a defect of melanin
production that causes little or
no color to skin, hair, or eyes.
 Archibald Garrod discovered it
in 1908 in London.
 The earliest records were found
in Germany and Rome.
 Aulus Gellius and Plinius
Secundus the Elder were the
first two individuals to
recognize this disease.
How was it named?
 Albino comes from the Latin word “Albus”
which means “white” in English.
 It uses the word “white” to describe the skin
color of the person with the disease.
Symptoms and Treatment
 Some symptoms
are:
 Lighter
hair color
 Patchy/missing skin
 Rapid eye movement
 Light sensitivity
(photophobia)
 Vision problems or
functional blindness
•Treatments include:
•Depends on severity of
the disorder
•Reduce sunburn
•Avoid sun rays
•Either cover body
completely in
sunscreen or attempt
to not expose skin to
rays by completely
covering body
How is it passed on?
 For the child to have albinism, the albinism
gene from the father and the albinism gene
from the mother both have to passed on to the
kid.
 The kid needs to have both albinism genes from
each parent to have albinism, not just one.
 If they only have one albino gene, then the child
will be considered a “carrier” of an albinism
gene.
 Albinism is controlled by a recessive trait.
Interesting Information
 There is no set cure for albinism
 Wearing glasses can help pigment




the eyes
In medieval times, albinos were
often killed because they were said
to be apart of witchcraft
Albinism can effect plants, animals,
and humans
Some people with albinism can have
yellow or red hair
Their eyes can be deep blue, red, or
dark brown
Sources
 Board, A.D.A.M. Editorial. Albinism. U.S. National
Library of Medicine, 18 Jan. 0001. Web. 21 Feb.
2013.
 "Who Discovered It." Who Discovered It. N.p., n.d.
Web. 21 Feb. 2013.
 "KidsHealth." Albinism. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2013