Albinism is a Latin word derived from “Albus” means white. It is
albinism
alsoknownas Achromia. It is a hereditary disease. In this disease melaninpigment, which is responsible for color of skin, eyes, and hair isabsent. It is a congenital disorder and most common in those societieswhere inter-marriages are arranged between close blood relatives. Although Albinos lead normal happy life but lack of melanin pigmentincreases the risk of skin cancer and other problems.
There are two types of enzymes in melanin pigment. i.e., tryosinase positive & tryosinase negative. In melanocytes tryosinase enzyme which is responsible for the formation of melanin pigment may be present or absent which results in the darkness of skin. It is not a contagious disease. Lack of skin pigmentation makes the person more susceptible to sunburn. Ocular Albinism (only eyes lack melanin pigment) is an X-linked recessive trait and hence more common in males. In this, the affected person may not be able to see in bright light.
The main difference b/w human albinism and vitiligo is that albinism is a biochemical disorder while vitiligo is an auto-Immune disorder. Albinism is a stable and incurable disease while vitiligo is curable.
People With Vitiligo