Sometimes people or animals that differ in appearance from their usual image are considered strange and shunned. Albinos are just that case. Who are albinos and how do they differ? Let's figure it out.
Faced with a person with completely discolored skin, white hair and eyes with a pronounced red tint, you can be frightened. And after such an unexpected meeting in my head, the question arises: where does such an anomaly come from, what is behind it, is it possible to get infected and is there any treatment?
Albinism - what is it?
So who are albinos? These are people or animals that have a genetic mutation in themselves. In short, the body does not have a coloring pigment called melanin. Melanin is an ancient Greek word meaning "black." It turns out that a living creature has an impaired concentration of this pigment, which leads to complete or partial discoloration of the skin, hairline and eyes.
Melanins are complex molecules that are produced by skin cells called melanocytes. The chemical process that takes place in the cells triggers a special protein called tyrosinase, and its formula is written in the structure of DNA and inherited. As a result of a genetic malfunction, a mutation appears in the body. One of these types of mutations is the albino gene, which leads to a complete absence of enzyme production in the body.
So, to summarize, albinos are living things, the body of which has a gene mutation, leading to the complete or partial production of melanin. It is inherited from both parents. Although according to statistics, every fourth baby is born with a defective gene from both parents of albinos.
Albino children
How can an albino baby be identified? Usually these children are very fair-skinned, it seems that the skin glows. Hair can look gray, eyebrows and eyelashes are completely white. The eyes are light blue or have no color at all, and then they look red. The reason for red eyes lies in the fact that the pigment is absent in the iris and, as a result, the capillaries with which the cornea is filled are visible. Even in the same family, albino children, the photo of which is shown below, can be carriers, but not all have manifestations of albinism.
I must say that albinism takes different forms and can be either complete or partial. However, full albinism is not so common, according to statistics of 1:20 000 people. Complete or, as it is called, ocular-integumentary albinism, affects all parts of the body, and the child is very different from other children. Partial or ocular albinism affects only the eyes.
Albino children, because they are very different from their peers, often suffer the most. They are called "white crows", they can be avoided or even harmed. Children of the black race are particularly affected . Strong hallmarks lead to all sorts of myths and misunderstandings from others.
Albino Myths
Most often, myths spread where there are not enough literate people. Unfortunately, African tribes are subject to this and most people tend to fall under the influence of priests and magicians.
It is believed that parts of the body of a human albino serve as a talisman or are brought as victims of various religious rituals. And the hair, woven into fishing nets, supposedly can bring an incredible catch. This leads to the fact that albino children often suffer, they are the most unprotected half of the population.
Albinism is most common on the African continent. The reason lies in social and cultural traditions. Marriage among one tribe leads to the transfer of the mutant gene from both parents to the child. Albinos have to create their own communities, which leads to marriages within them, albino children with such connections are born much more often.
Albino problems
Colorless people have much more health problems than ordinary people. First of all, the eyes are affected. A person with ocular albinism complains of photophobia, sensitivity, both myopia and farsightedness can develop. The lack of pigment leads to various eye abnormalities, which are almost impossible to fix.
The skin of people with albinism is also very sensitive and exposed to strong sunlight. Today, many protective creams are made, without which people with very fair skin simply can not do. As a result of the absence of melanin, the skin does not tan, which can lead to skin cancer.
Albinos in the animal world
White tigers, the splendor of a white peacock, the beauty of a majestic white lion - all this causes emotion and captures with extraordinary beauty. And rarely does anyone think that this is a gene mutation, these animals are albinos. Such creatures are rarely found in nature; most of them spend their lives in zoos or national reserves.
What causes anomaly among animals? The problem is that albino animals just need protection. They are very visible to predators because of their bright white color. To hunt such an animal, and especially a predator, is of great difficulty, and as a result, such individuals starve. The color of the animal usually takes part in attracting the mating partner, and the bleached males are left without a pair.
Humans and albino animals
For people, albino animals are a magnet that beckons with its purity and whiteness. Often the natural color of animals frightens and makes you stop. But the white color in itself speaks of purity and tenderness. Therefore, man always strove to breed pure white animals. For example, laboratory mice and rats are necessarily white.
In nature, there is not only complete albinism, but also partial discoloration. Albinos, the photo of which is given above, have a strange color. This partial discoloration also captivates the eye, and at the same time causes pity. Such a creature can survive only thanks to the care of man.
Albino rabbit
The love of white led to the fact that people began to cross different breeds of animals. This was how the albino rabbit, today widespread throughout the world, was bred. The breed was obtained in Germany when crossing a Belgian with a chinchilla. As a result of a long selection among albinos, the now-known White Giant breed was bred.
White rabbits are very rare in nature. Their snow-white coloring attracts the attention of predators too much, especially in the gray forest. Hiding with such a color is almost impossible; the bright white color attracts attention at a distance.
Albinos as pets
Many people know and fear black cats. Even songs are composed about them, various legends go about them and various signs are connected. But what do you think of snow-white kittens? Albino kittens are very cute.
It should be recalled that the acquisition of such a pet entails a number of health-related consequences. Like most albinos, he may experience eye problems, as well as deafness and reduced immunity. What are the problems? Melanins, responsible for the coloring of the animal, are associated not only with processes in the skin, but are also involved in other vital systems. Deafness can be associated with a lack of enzyme or its complete absence.
The eyes of an albino cat can be either red or blue. With a blue eye color, deafness usually develops, this is due, as already mentioned, to a lack of an enzyme that is involved in the structure of the animal’s inner ear.
In nature, white cats are almost never found. As a result of low immunity and problems with hearing and vision, such animals die quickly.
Albinism as a disease
Let's try to summarize all that has been said. People with genetic diseases are vulnerable and need empathy and understanding. But the disease (albino is the result of a malfunction in the body) brings a lot of inconvenience, and sometimes suffering. This problem is inherited from parents to children, and the child becomes ill only if both parents are carriers of the mutant gene.
Children often suffer from peer attacks. Teenage boys are particularly vulnerable to attack. Girls can tint, and only glasses and red eyes can tell about a mutation . To protect the skin, these people need to use sunscreen. But basically the problem of albinism is a social one.
With animals, everything is exactly the same, the mutational gene is inherited. But in nature, such individuals usually do not survive for a long time. Such animals found by people in natural conditions are usually transported to zoos, where they spend their rest of their lives. Also, this mutation is used to produce certain breeds. For example, white rabbits, cats and even individual breeds of dogs. And once white tigers were specially bred for work in the circus. But such animals especially need care and proper care.
The disease is not treatable, it is associated with a gene mutation, and the myths that it is possible to get sick with it are just a fairy tale. People need to understand that everyone who differs from us in skin or eye color needs compassion and our participation. They should not be hermits and withdrawn only in their own world. Love and respect give rise to reciprocal feelings.