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Daniel Peterson
Mrs. Simmons
College Research Technology
26 February 2016
Juggling With Albinism
Learning how to juggle with albinism first means learning how to adapt ones lifestyle to
the changes in ones body. Albinism is a mutation that causes different changes in the human
body. There are different forms of albinism and each form has its own different effects on the
body. People with the disorder have to be careful of being in the sun too long and must adapt to
that precaution as necessary. Those affected by the condition also need to be wary that people
may treat them in a negative way due to their appearance. Albinism can make a number of
different skills more difficult to learn and practice.
To start, one must ask what exactly albinism is and what causes it. Albinism is a sort of
genetic mutation and is defined by the Mayo Clinic as a group of inherited disorders that are
characterized by little or no production of the pigment melanin. Mayo also tells us that type
and amount of melanin determines the color of your skin, hair and eyes. Because of this,
most people with albinism are sensitive to sun exposure and are at increased risk of developing
skin cancer. Because people with albinism generally have lighter skin and hair, theyre more
likely to get sunburns if precautions are not taken, which can ultimately lead to the development
of skin cancer. The likelihood, however, for developing skin cancer is the same as those who
spend much of their time in the open sun. There is no cure for albinism.
Now that it is understood what albinism is, it is time to find out what causes it and the
different types as well. All types of albinism are caused by a mutation in at least one gene, and

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some types of albinism are only inheritable from both parents giving the recessive mutated gene,
which is known as recessive inheritance. The first type of albinism is known as Oculocutaneous
Albinism, or OCA. OCA is defined as being caused by a mutation in at least one of four different
genes. OCA is divided into four main types, each respectively named OCA1, OCA2, OCA3, and
OCA4. According to Dr. Richard Lewis of Baylor College of Medicine, OCA1 is split into two
subcategories, OCA1A and OCA1B. People with OCA1 generally will have milky white skin,
white hair, and blue eyes at birth. OCA2 is generally found in sub-Saharan Africans, African
Americans, and Native Americans. OCA3 is mainly found in black South Africans while OCA4
looks similar to OCA2 and is most often found in people of East Asian descent. (Mayo Clinic)
Another type of albinism is X-linked Ocular Albinism, which is caused by a gene mutation on
the X chromosome, and almost exclusively in males. A third type of albinism is Chediak-Higashi
Syndrome, which is a rare form of albinism in the LYST gene. The fourth main type of albinism
is Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome, which is a rare form of albinism caused by a mutation in at
least one of eight different genes and is primarily found in the area of Puerto Rico. Those four
basic types of albinism are the ones that are most commonly seen.
Now that it is understood what albinism is, and what types there are, it is time to look at
what the effects are of albinism on the body. The one part of the body that is always affected, no
matter what type of albinism is present, is the eyes. An albino persons eyesight is always
reduced, but usually can be corrected with different forms of measures, such as ocular surgery or
even wearing specially designed glasses or contact lenses. There are a number of problems that
may arise in terms of eyesight. An albino person may have moderate to extreme nearsightedness
or farsightedness, also known as myopia or hyperopia, respectively. In addition, an albino person
may have the condition known as nystagmus, which is described as the rapid, involuntary back

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and forth movement of the eyes. They may also have photophobia, which is defined as an
extreme sensitivity to light. An albino persons eyes may have an inability to stay focused on the
same point, which is known as strabismus. There may also be an abnormal curvature of the front
surface of the eyes, or the lens inside the eye, which would cause blurry vision, and is known as
astigmatism, but is not always directly associated with albinism. However, vision problems are
not the only effects on the eyes that albinism has. Eye color is another aspect that albinism has on
the body, and it also comes with a few myths. The first myth is
that all albinos have red eyes. As described by the National
Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation, the reason that
Figure 1: Albino Woman's Eye (Marazzi)

any albino person would appear to have red, or even violet, eyes

is because of certain lighting conditions that make the iris appear to be red or violet. In actuality,
the eye color is usually light blue, hazel, or even brown. Each type of albinism has different
effects on eye color. One example of how albinos may appear to have red eyes is when their
picture is taken with flash photography. The red eye effect is more common in albinos due to
the lack of melanin in the eyes to help protect the eyes from the light coming in. All types of
albinism affect the eyes, even if they do not affect any other part of the body.
With the changes in eyes being understood, then comes the rest of the body that is
affected, which is the skin and hair. Like the eyes, melanin gives pigment to skin and hair and
makes them darker. According to DNews, melanin is a special chemical produced by
melanocytes, and the production of melanin can be affected by a mutation in one of any number
of genes. The right mutation in the correct gene could potentially cause the production of
melanin to be almost nonexistent in albinos. If the production of melanin is reduced by a
mutation, it can cause someone to look very pale, and have very light colored hair. Depending on

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the type of albinism, however, the skin may be hardly affected, in which case it might just be
slightly lighter than that of the family members, or it could be a drastic difference. Like skin
color, hair color can also range from very light to dark. Both skin and hair color can range from
light blond to even brown. By early adulthood, hair color may even darken even more (Mayo
Clinic). Hair and skin color may not be as drastically affected as the eyes, but many types of
albinism still have the potential of causing them to be considerably different than they would
normally have been.
People with albinism have to take many measures during their lifetimes in order to
compensate for their lack of pigmentation. For example, it is recommended that people with
albinism wear clothing that covers their skin, such as long-sleeve shirts, brimmed hats or
baseball caps, to keep the sun off of their head and out of their eyes, long pants, shoes, and
sunglasses. If wearing shorts or t-shirts, they should put on sunscreen and remain in the shade as
much as possible. The minimum SPF for the sunscreen should be at least 30 SPF. In addition to
the protective measures, people with albinism should consider getting special glasses for reading,
if they cannot do it normally. My father, Jay, would take my sisters and I to the beach or
amusement parks in the early morning, and before afternoon came, wed head back home, or
indoors, to keep us out of the sun. For students, they should sit in the front of the classroom, use
large-print materials, and use page magnifiers if necessary. There are many precautions that
people with albinism need to take in order to reduce the risk of sunburn and correct any other
issues they have because of problems with eyesight.
There are other problems to having albinism other than the hypopigmentation of the skin,
hair, and eyes. There is also the possibility of social and emotional problems that may arise due
to the simple difference of appearance. For example, children may experience name-calling,

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teasing, or even questions about their appearance or visual aid devices, and the children wont be
able to answer them. Many people with albinism may find the term albino to be insulting or
hurtful, because they feel as though they are being labeled solely on the basis of how they look,
and not being thought of as individuals. They may even feel like and be treated like outsiders
from their ethnic community because of their appearance. All of these factors contribute to social
isolation, poor self-esteem issues, and stress. In fact, according to a special that ABC News did in
2010, the father of an albino child was having difficulty in public because he and his family were
of African American descent, and because of that, people did not know that his albino child was
actually his. My father, Jay, also told me in an interview that people would come up to him and
ask him if they could feel our skin and hair, because they did not know about albinism. It even
caused him to have to better understand the condition that three of his four kids have. Reilley
Capps, for The Washington Post, also did a short article in 2003 titled Albinism in the
Spotlight on an albino actor starring in the lead role of a young teenagers play which was
performed at the Kennedy Center. The article told about the teenager never having met anyone
who had albinism before she met the actor, Dennis Hurley. The young teenager was able to better
understand that her play rang true about the emotional turmoil of a young person with albinism
after meeting Mr. Hurley. Social and emotional problems are common among people with
albinism, and should not be taken lightly.
Learning and practicing new skills can be made difficult if someone has albinism.
Albinism is a mutation that causes a number of different changes in the body. It can make skin
and hair a much lighter color than those of someones family, and can even make their eyes look
like they are of an abnormal color. People with albinism may also find that people treat them

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differently simply because of their appearance. For those who have albinism, and their families,
life can be drastically different than they would normally have expected.

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Works Cited
Albinism: Caught Between Dark and Light. Prod. ABC News. YouTube. 27 Aug. 2010. Web. 18
Feb. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_WYW-Zrv6E>.
Capps, Reilly. "Albinism in the Spotlight." The Washington Post [Washington D.C.] 29 Sept.
2003. The Washington Post. The Washington Post. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2003/09/29/albinism-in-the
spotlight/4f4ba0b0-eb77-4b7d-b2e9-0a116e636a51/>.
Face of an albino woman. Photography. Encyclopdia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 25 Feb
2016. <http://quest.eb.com/search/132_1262034/1/132_1262034/cite>
Lewis, Richard A. "Oculocutaneous Albinism Type 1." GeneReviews. U.S. National Library of
Medicine, 16 May 2013. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1166/>
Mayo Clinic Staff. "Diseases and Conditions: Albinism." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for
Medical Education and Research, 2016. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
<http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/albinism/basics/definition/con20029935>.
People Of Color With Albinism Ask: Where Do I Belong? NPR News, 7 Dec. 2015. Web. 25 Feb.
2016. <http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2015/12/07/457147952/people-of-colorwith-albinism-ask-where-do-i-belong>.
Peterson, Jay, Jr. Personal interview. 26 Feb. 2016.
"What Is Albinism?" Information Bulletin. National Organization for Albinism and
Hypopigmentation, 2015 Web. 19 Feb. 2016.

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<http://www.albinism.org/site/c.flKYIdOUIhJ4H/b.9253761/k.24EE/Information_Bulleti
n__What_is_Albinism.htm>
Why Are Some People Albino? Prod. DNews. YouTube. N.p., 25 July 2015. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHRM2S_fBOk>.

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