albinism pp 1212440758762697 9

ALBINISMALBINISMBrad Ogden & Brianna Sculley

Characteristics • Little to no melanin (important

pigment) in eyes, skin, and hair• Vision problems are a result of the low

amounts of melanin in albinos• Eyes are usually blue or light brown,

but can sometimes appear red• Skin and hair is very pale in color• More likely to sunburn• Sensitivity to bright light

How is it Inherited?• Autosomal Recessive Inheritance• This means that albinism is a

recessive trait (aa = albinism)• Complete dominance• If parents are carriers, the child has a

25% chance of being completely normal, a 50% chance of being a carrier, and a 25% chance of getting albinism.

Pedigree

Aa Aa ? ?

aa

Aa Aaaa

Transmission• Albinism is inherited genetically

• As previously stated, it is autosomal recessive inheritance

• Passed from parent to child

• Not contagious

Epidemiology • Unable to determine first known case

of albinism; genetic disease

• It occurs in general, not in outbreaks

• Effects men and women of all ages

• Happens all over the world

• When carriers reproduce, they could have an albino child, so only technically humans do contribute to the spread of the disease

Treatment • There is no cure for albinism

• Treatments only ease the symptoms

• Visual Rehabilitation

• Wear dark glasses to shield light

• Always wear sunscreen

• Special UV proof clothing/swimsuits

• Does not effect life span

• There will never be a cure (genetics)

Support & Recent Developments • NOAH (The National Organization for

Albinism and Hypopigmentation) – a nonprofit organization that gives support and information to people living with albinism

• Not a lot of recent advances; continued support for the people living with this disease and funding for support groups and organizations

Interesting Facts• Some people affected with albinism

have eyes that appear red. This is not because the iris is red, but because there is so little color that the blood vessels show through the iris.

• In urban legend, the spot on the 7-Up logo comes from its albino inventor who had red eyes.