Eliane DjiguemdeAlbinismAlbinism is a genetic condition present at birth, characterized by a small amount of melanin pigment in the skin, hair and eyes. Albinism is an occasional congenital disease linked to visual difficulties, affecting one in seventeen thousand people. It is not a contagious disease and is not transmitted through contact. Albinism affects individuals of all races. Most people with albinism have parents with normal skin color. Some may not even recognize that they are albino until later in life. This article will be based on the study of albinism, its causes, types, genetic transmission, and some possible medical problems. Albinism occurs when one of several genes is defective. Each of these genes offers orders for the production of one of several proteins involved in the production of melanin. This imperfection can lead to a lack of melanin production or a reduced quantity. Melanin is produced by cells called melanocytes, which are found in the skin and eyes. The amount of coloring varies. Some people acquire a little pigmentation in their hair or eyes as they age. Some develop pigmented spots on the skin. A person with total absence of melanin is called an albino. One with only a small amount of melanin is described as albinoid. (What is albinism according to the right diagnosis, April 22, 2014). Researchers have discovered numerous genes that make one become albino. The genes are located on autosomal chromosomes. Autosomes are chromosomes that contain genes for general characteristics of the body. Genes carry the material that makes you a person. We usually have two duplicates of these chromosomes and genes: one inherited from our father, the other inherited from our mother. Albinism is a recessive trait and some without albi...... middle of paper...... try to develop gene therapies, or drugs that enter cells and regulate the DNA transformations responsible for albinism. So far, experts have had some success in modifying areas of depigmented skin and hair in rats, but they are far from interpreting this study for humans. (Albinism by Chad H Medicine Plus, February 26, 2014) Albinism is a health disorder in which individuals are born without the usual pigment in their bodies. It typically affects the color of the skin and eyes. Albinism is a rare disease and cannot be stopped or cured. Once you have albinism you will have it for life. Being a rare condition, research is still looking into how to cure it. But, as it is a hereditary condition, the study does not guarantee that there will be a treatment. The only way to prevent it is to check for a recessive gene in the parents before having a baby.