Question

Explain the condition of Albinism.

Answer 1

Their numbers in any one region of the body are roughly the same within and between races, ranging from about 1,000 to more than 2,000 per square millimetre. Colour variations are caused solely by the amount of melanin produced and the composition of the pigment granules. Albinism is characterized by a lack of melanin pigmentation throughout the body.

Complete answer:
Albinism is the congenital lack of pigmentation or colouration in an animal, plant, or person, resulting in white hair, feathers, scales, and skin, as well as pink eyes in mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, as well as invertebrates. Because the terms are used and interpreted differently, written reports of albinistic animals can be difficult to verify. Albinism can reduce an animal's survivability; for example, it has been suggested that albino alligators have an average survival span of only 24 hours due to a lack of UV radiation protection and camouflage to avoid predators.

It is a common misconception that all albino animals have pink or red eyes (due to a lack of pigment in the iris, allowing the blood vessels of the retina to be visible), but this is not the case for some types of albinism. Albino animals are commonly associated with inbred strains of laboratory animals (rats, mice, and rabbits), but populations of naturally occurring albino animals, such as the Mexican cave tetra, exist in the wild. Albinism is a well-known phenomenon in molluscs, affecting both the shell and the soft parts. Some have claimed, for example, that "albinism" can occur for a variety of reasons other than inheritance, such as genetic mutations, diet, and living conditions.

Thus, Albinism causes a lack of melanin pigmentation throughout the body, including the hair, brows, eyelashes, and even the ribs. Because of the presence of underlying blood capillaries, the skin of such people appears pinkish.

Note: Albinism in plants is defined by the partial or complete loss of chlorophyll pigments and the incomplete differentiation of chloroplast membranes. Plant albinism interferes with photosynthesis, which can reduce survival. White flowers or other parts of some plant varieties are possible. These plants, however, do not lack chlorophyll entirely. The terms "hypothermia" and "albiflora" are used to describe this phenomenon.