An Interesting Bit on Albinism

My dad was recently talking to me about albinism because one of his insurance customers has a grown albino child. He was very interested to hear about albino, and also was fascinated when the man told him that everyone has the possibility to produce albino. This is not exactly true, but it is close.

Everyone has heard of various albino creatures, and most people know that it is a recessive gene. But does anyone actually know what that means?

Within people, there are several different kinds of albinism. The exact way of defining it is blurred by what we see in animals. According to NOAH (National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation), most people with albinism do NOT have red eyes, which is often the most defining characteristic that we think of. What else is partially myth to albinism, and what actually causes it?

Albino is not a gene in itself, but what causes it is the gene that creates pigment. Similarly to any other genetics, when both genes are turned 'off', it creates no pigment. The reality of what no pigment means can actually vary widely within the individual. Some people do not even appear 'albino' by our standards. I am now hesitant to add any photos, unsure of what the truth about each individual case whether human or animal is.

The statement that 'all people carry the albino gene' is not quite true, because most people do not carry it. If everyone carried it, then one in four people would be albino. That is what makes it rare. The only time it can happen is when two people who are heterozygous (carriers of the recessive gene) have a baby, and only then there is a 25% chance of albino. 

Using the 'albino is recessive', that means that pigment genes are dominant. A heterozygote is a carrier for that recessive gene, but phenotypically they will appear like any other person. And, just because they are a carrier does not mean that every child of theirs will be albino.

Lastly, because this is a horse genetics blog, stay tune for Part Two: Albinism in Horses